LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT    OF 


Report  of  Proceedings 

•       -OF  THE— 

AMERICAN     i 

„   MINING 

CONGRESS 


Session 

Pittsburgh,  'Penn,,  December  2-5,  1908 


Published    by   .th< 

At   the   Office  of  tl 


Report  of  Proceedings 


of  the 


American  Mining 
Congress 


Eleventh  Annual  Session 

Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  Dec.  2-5 

1908 


OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


Published  by  the  American  Mining  Congress 

At  the  Office  of  the  Secretary,  Denver,  Colo.,  1909 


Copyright,  1909,  by  the 

AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS 

DENVER,  COLO. 


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Eighth  . 

Ninth  .  .  . 

Tenth  .  . 

Eleventh 

INDEX 


Page 

Accidents  in  Coal  Mining,  report  of  committee 28 

Alaskan  Mining  Laws,  report  of  committee 28 

Auditing  Committee,  report  of 113 

Communications — 

E.  H.  Harriman . 89 

John    Hayes   Hammond 89 

George   P.   Huff 90 

Mine  Inspectors  Institute  of  America 103 

W.  H.  Taft 105 

Credentials  Committee,  report  of 60 

Delegates,  list  of 60 

Directors,  election  of 118 

Financial  Statement  of  Secretary 112 

Forestry    Committee,    report    of    36-88 

Government  Testing  Station  at  Pittsburg,  session  at 53 

Heinze  Pickle  Company,  The  H.  J.,  visit  to  .  .  -. 90 

Independent  Smelters,  encouraged 34 

Law  for  Preventing  Mining  Frauds 60 

Members,  annual  meeting  of    112-118 

Members,  list  of 72 

Nominating  Committee,   report  of    118 

Prevention  of  Mining  Frauds,  report  of  committee    31 

Resolutions  Committee,  list  of 22 

Resolutions  Committee,  reports  of 

41-43-46-47-53-59-60-61-87-88-99-100-109-110 

Revision  of  Mining  Laws,  report  of  committee    32 

Safety  in  Coal  Mining  Operations,  report  of  committee 28 

Smelter  Rates,  report  of  committee 34 

Telegrams — 

E.  H.  Harriman    .  . 89 

John  Hayes  Hammond 89 

Vertical  Side  Line  Law,  report  of  committee 28 

ADDRESSES. 

Page 

Address  of  Welcome,  by  Lee  S.  Smith    9 

Address  of  Welcome,  by  Congressman  J.  F.  Burke 11 

Response,  by  President  J.  H.  Richards 13 

Response,  by  Prof.  Victor  C.  Alderson    16 

Response,  by  Hon.  John  C.  Chaney 17 

Response,  by  Dr.  H.  Foster  Bain 18 

Response,  by  Prof.  Chas.  J.  Norwood    19 

Response,  by  Dr.  E.  R.  Buckley 19 

Response,  by  Dr.  Chas.  N.  Gould 20 

Response,  by  Hon.    H.    H.    Lang    21 

Response,  by  Gov.    A.    B.    Fleming    24 

Response,  by  Mr.   J.  L.  Steele    26 

Response,  by  Dr.   A.    H.    Purdue    27 

The  Mine  Inspectors  Institute  of  America 103 

COMMITTEES. 

Page 

Committee  on  Alaskan   Mining  Laws,   report  of 28 

Committee  on  Credentials,  report  of 60 

Committee  on   forestry,  report  of 36-88 

Committee  on   Nominations,  report  of 118 

Committee  on  Protection  to  Mining  Investors,  report  of    31 

Committee  on  Resolutions,     list  of   22 


203316 


4  INDEX. 

Page 

Committee  on  Revision  of  Mining  Laws,  report 32 

Committee  on  Safety  in  Coal  Mining  Operations,  report  of 28 

Committee  on  Smelter  Rates,  report  of   34 

Committee  on  Vertical   Side  Line  Law,    report   of    28 

SUBJECTS  OF  RESOLUTIONS. 
No.      1 — Amending  the  By-Laws  of  the  American  Mining  Congress,  by 

Wm.   P.   Daniels,   of  Colorado. 

No.      2 — Tariff  Duty  on  Zinc  Ores,  by  Col.  H.  H.  Gregg  of  Missouri. 
No.      3 — Relating    to    the    Method    of    Shot-Firing    in    Coal    Mines,    by 

Peter  Hanraty,  of  Oklahoma. 
No.      4 — Tariff    Duty    on    Lead    Ores,    by    Col.    A.    G.    Brownlee,    of 

Colorado. 
No.      5 — Loss  of  Life  in  Coal  Mining  Operations,  by  Geo.  J.  Bancroft, 

of  Colorado. 
No.      6 — Work   of   the    Geological    Survey,     by     Geo.     J.     Bancroft,    of 

Colorado. 
No.      7 — Standardizing   Electrical   Practice    in     Mining,     by     David   B. 

Rushmore,  of  New  York. 

No.      8 — Co-operation  Between  American  Mining  Congress  and  Amer- 
ican institute  of  Mining  Engineers,  by  D.  B.  Rushmore,  of 

New  York. 
No.      9 — Coal    Tax    for    Benefit    of    Injured    Miners    and    Families,    by 

J.  G.  McHenry,  of  Pennsylvania. 
No.    10 — Revision  of  Coal  Land  Laws  in  Alaska,  by  Geo.   M.  Esterly, 

of  Alaska. 
No.   11 — Legislation    to    Prevent     Accidents     in     Coal     Mines,     by    H. 

Baumann,  of  Pennsylvania. 
No.   12 — Prevention   of   Mine   Accidents,   by   T.   Wilson    Henderson,    of 

Pennsylvania  and  M.  Duffy  of  Oklahoma. 
No.   13 — Prevention   of   Frauds   in    Mining,     by     WTm.     P.     Daniels,    of 

Colorado. 
No.   14 — Government  Inquiry  Into  Rates  on  Coal,  by  J.  W.  Dawson,  of 

West    Virginia. 

No.   15 — Prevention  of  Mine  Accidents,  by  David  Ross,  of  Illinois. 
No.   16 — Method  of  Disposition  of  Public  Lands,  by  William  Ben  ton, 

of   Wyoming. 
No.    17 — Federal  Aid  for  Mining  Schools  and  Departments,  by  A.   H. 

Purdue,  of  Arkansas. 
No.    18 — Asking  Support  for  Government  Testing  Stations,  by  W.  F.  R. 

Mills,   of   Colorado. 
No.   19 — Prevention  of  Accidents  in  Coal  Mining  Operations,  by  John 

G.   Ross,   of  WTest   Virginia. 

No.   20 — Resolution  of  Thanks  to  Officers  and  Directors  of  Mining  Con- 
gress' Citizens  of  Pittsburgh,  Committees,  etc.,  by  Senator 

Charles  Dick,  of  Ohio. 


Resolution    Introduced  by  Page 

1 — W.  P.  Daniels.  .  .  .41 

2— H.   H.    Gregg 43 

3 — Peter  Hanraty...  4  3 
4 — A.  G.  Brownlee..  4  6 
5 — Geo.  J.  Bancroft..  46 
6 — Geo.  J.  Bancroft..  4  7 
7 — D.  B.  Rushmore.  4 7 
8 — D.  B.  Rushmore..  47 
9 — J.  G.  McHenry.  .  .53 

10 — Geo.    M.    Esterly..  5  9 

11 — H.    Bauman 60 

12 — T.   W.    Henderson.  60 
13 — W.  P.   Daniels.  .  .  .60 


RESOLUTIONS. 

Reported  page  Di  position 

93  &  114  Referred   back    to    Congress. 

93  Adopted. 

108  Referred   back    to    Congress. 
93  &  101  Adopted. 

93  Adopted. 

93  &  100  Adopted. 

101  Adopted. 

93  &  101  Adopted. 

109  Referred  to  Board  of 

Directors. 

101  Adopted. 

108  Referred    back   to    Congress. 

108  Referred   back    to    Congress. 

109  Referred      to      Mine      Fraud 

Committee. 


SPEAKERS.  5 

Resolution    Introduced  by  Page  Reported  page  Disposition 

14 — J.   W.    Dawson.  .  .61 

15 — David  Ross 62          108  Referred   back   to    Congress. 

16 — Mr.    Ben  ton    87 

17 — A.    H.    Purdue....  88  101  Adopted. 

18 — W.  F.  R.  Mills.  ..  .99          109  Adopted. 

19 — John    G.    Ross...  100          108  (Made   a   part  of   record   as 

a  statement.) 
20 — Jno.  C.  Keighley.109  Referred    to    Committee    on 

Forestry. 

Resolution  of  thanks  by  Senator  Dick  of 
Ohio,  Page  110. 

SPEAKERS.  Page 

Alderson,  Prof.  V.  C 16 

Bain,  Dr.  H.  Foster 18-28 

Beard,   J.   G 103 

Brown,   Dr.    John    39 

Brownlee,  Col.  A.  G 36-37 

Buckley,  Dr.  E.  R 19 

Burke,   Congressman   James  Francis    10-16-56 

Callbreath,  J.  F.,  Jr 106 

Chaney,  Congressman  John  C 17 

Daniels,  William  P 94-114-116-119 

Dawson,   J.  W 51 

Dempster,   Alexander    54 

Douglas,   Dr.   James    . 48 

Fleming,  Hon.  A.   B 24-91-92 

Fulton,   H.   F 38 

Garfield,  Hon.  James  R 45-53 

Gould,  Dr.  Chas.  N 20 

Hammond,   John  Hayes    89 

Harriman,  Edward  H 89 

Harrison,    George   ta 87 

Holmes,   Dr.   J.   A 51-110-122 

Muff,  George  F 89 

Ingalls,   W.    R 32 

Knight,  J.  W 39 

Lang,  Hon.  H.  H 21-92 

Malcolmson,   James  W 118 

Mitchell,  John 51 

Norwood,  Prof.  C.  J 19 

Parker,  Dr.  Edward  W 49 

Richards,  Judge  J.   H 13-114 

Rockwell,  I.  E 37-38-41 

Ross,  John  G 90 

Scholz,    Carl    52 

Smith,  Lee  S 9 

Springer,   J.   A .' 49 

Steele,  J.  L 26-40 

Taft,  Hon.  William  Howard    105 

Taylor,   Samuel   A 9 

Walker,  John  H 49-101 

White,  Dr.  I.  C 97 

Wood,   Dr.   John   R 40 

TITLES   TO   PAPERS   PUBLISHED   IN   PART   II. 

Page 

Annual  Address  of  the  President,  by  J.  H.  Richards 7 

Relation  of  the  Federal  Government  to  Mining,  by  Chas.  Dick.  ...  18 

Transportation  of  Mineral  Products,  by  Edward  H.  Harriman....  38 
The  Importance  of  Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Advancement  of 

the  Mining  Industry,  by  Carroll  D.  Wright 52 

The  Duties  of  the  Federal  and  State  Governments  in  Relation  to 

the  Mining  Industry,  by  George  Harrison 57 


6  ROSTER. 

Page 

Conservation  in  the  Mining  Industry,  by  Frank  M.  Osborne 66 

Transportation  in  Its  Relation  to  the  Mining  Industry,  by  James 

Douglas 71 

Federal  Government  in  Its  Relation  to  the  Mining  Industry,  by 

James  Rudolph  Garfield  88 

Problems  of  the  Coal  Mining  Industry,  by  J.  A.  Holmes 98 

Some  Utah  Mineral  Deposits  and  Their  Metallurgical  Treatment,  by 

Robert  H.  Bradford 101 

Mining  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Arizona,  by  Frank  Cox 119 

The  Mineral  Resources  of  Virginia,  by  E.  A.  Schubert 124 

The  Mineral  Resources  of  Arkansas,  by  A.  W.  Estes 146 

Conservation  in  the  Coal  Industry,  Protection  of  Life  and  Preven- 
tion of  Waste,  by  Glenn  W.  Traer 152 

The  Barren  Zone  of  the  Northern  Appalachian  Coal  Field  and  Its 

Relation  to  Pittsburgh's  Industry,  by  I.  C.  White 166 

Needs  for  Conservation  of  Our  Coal  Deposits,  by  J.  V.  Thompson.  .177 

Conservation  of  Mineral  Resources,  by  J.  B.  Zerbe 181 

Conservation  in  the  Coal  Industry,  by  John  Mitchell 185 

Installation  of  Electricity  in  Mines,  by  W.  A.  Thomas 196 

A  Brief  Statement  of  the  Rising  Importance  of  the  Rare  Elements, 

by  Herman  Fleck . 204 

Tariff  on  Zinc  Ores,  by  S.  Duffield  Mitchell 212 

Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Mining  Industry,  by  George  Gray.  .230 
Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Mining  Industry,  by  Thos.  L.  Lewis.  23 5 

Problems  of  the  Coal  Industry,  by  Alexander  Dempster 239 

Distribution  of  the  Nation's  Mineral  Wealth,  by  George  Otis  Smith.  2 47 
Science  as  the  Basis  of  Commercial  Success,  by  Joseph  Buffington.  251 
The  Duties  of  the  Federal  and  State  Governments  in  Relation  to 

the  Mining  Industry,  by  W.  F.  Englebright 255 

Alaska  and  Its  Mineral  Resources,  by  Alfred  H.  Brooks 258 


OFFICIAL    ROSTER 

of  the  Officers  and  Committees  of  the  American  Mining  Congress 

19O7 

OFFICERS. 

J.   H.   RICHARDS President 

THOMAS  EWING First  Vice  President 

E.  R.   BUCKLEY Second  Vice  President 

E.  A.  COLBURN Third  Vice  President 

J.  F.   CALLBREATH,  JR Secretary 

DIRECTORS. 

J.  H.  Richards Boise,  Idaho 

Thomas  Ewing Vivian,  Arizona 

E.  R.  Buckley Rolla,  Missouri 

E.  A.  Colburn Denver,   Colorado 

George  W.  E.  Dorsey Fremont,  Nebraska 

C.  M.  Shannon Los  Angeles,   California 

John  Dern Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

A.  L.  White Lima,  Ohio 

W.  F.  R.  Mills Denver,  Colorado 

COMMITTEES — 1907. 

PROGRAM. 

Dr.  E.  R.  Buckley,  Rolla,  Missouri;   T.  A.  Rickard,  San  Francisco, 
California;    E.  Lyman  White,  Denver,   Colorado. 

TRANSPORTATION. 

W.    F.    R.    Mills,    Denver,    Colorado;    Col.    A.    G.    Brownlee,    Idaho 
Springs,  Colorado.  J.  F.  Callbreath,  Jr.,  Denver,  Colorado. 


ROSTER.  ? 

WAYS  AND   MEANS. 

John  Bern,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Col.  Thomas  Ewing,  Vivian,  Ari- 
zona; Col.  George  W.  E.  Dorsey,  Fremont,  Nebraska;  F.  Wallace  White, 
Cleveland,  Ohio;  Judge  E.  A.  Colburn,  Denver,  Colorado. 

AUDITING  COMMITTEE. 
E.  Lyman  White,  Denver,  Colorado;  E.  G.  Reinert,  Denver,  Colorado. 

MINING  TEMPLE   BUILDING. 

Governor  Henry  A.  Buchtel,  Denver,  Colorado;  Hon.  Meyer  Fried- 
man, Denver,  Colorado;  Hon.  J.  H.  Richards,  Boise,  Idaho. 

PROTECTION  AGAINST  MINING  FRAUDS. 

C.  J.  Downey,  Denver,  Colorado;  R.  L.  Herrick,  Scranton,  Pennsyl- 
vania; Hon.  A.  W.  Mclntire,  Everett,  Washington;  Hon.  H.  C.  Beeler, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming;  Judge  WTilliam  F.  Clark,  Glover, -Vermont. 

SMELTER   RATES. 

E.  A.  Colburn,  Denver,  Colorado  (Chairman);  E.  M.  DeLavergne, 
Colorado  Springs,  Colorado;  George  W.  Riter,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  H. 
S.  Joseph,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Dr.  L.  D.  Godshall,  Needles,  California. 

VERTICAL    SIDE    LINE    LAW. 

James  D.  Hague,  New  York  City;  John  A.  Church,  New  York  City; 
R.  A.  F.  Penrose,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania;  Charles  J.  Hughes,  Jr., 
Denver,  Colorado;  Hon.  Thomas  Kearns,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

PREVENTION   OF    MINE   ACCIDENTS. 

H.  Foster  Bain,  Urbana,  Illinois;  F.  W.  Parsons,  New  York.  H.  H. 
Stoeck,  Scranton,  Pennsylvania;  B.  F.  Bush,  St.  Louis,  Missouri; 
Herman  B.  Hesse,  Frostburg,  Maryland. 

GENERAL  REVISION  OF  MINING  LAWS. 

W.  R.  Ingalls,  505  Pearl  Street,  New  York;  J.  Parke  Channing,  42 
Broadway,  New  York;  J.  R.  Finlay,  71  Broadway,  New  York;  John 
Hays  Hammond,  New  York;  Dr.  James  Douglas,  New  York. 


OFFICIAL    ROSTER 

of  the  Officers  and  Committees  of  the  American  Mining  Congress 

1908 

OFFICERS. 

J.  H.  RICHARDS President 

THOMAS   EWING First   Vice   President 

E.  R.  BUCKLEY Second  Vice  President 

JOHN  DERN Third  Vice  President 

J.    F.    CALLBREATH,    JR Secretary 

DIRECTORS. 

J.  H.  Richards Boise,  Idaho 

.Thomas  Ewing Vivian,  Arizona 

E.  R.  Buckley Holla,1  Missouri 

E.  A.  Colburn Denver,    Colorado 

L.  W.  Powell Bisbee,    Arizona 

John  Dern Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

W.   F.   R.   Mills Denver,    Colorado 

Alexander    Dempster Pittsburg,    Pennsylvania 

Geo.  W.  E.  Dorsey. Fremont,  Nebraska 

ADVISORY   BOARD. 

L.  W.  Powell Bisbee,  Arizona 

A.  WT.  Mclntire .Everett,  Washington 

W.  J.   Elmendorf * Spokane,   Washington 

Duncan   MacVichie .  .  Salt  Lake  City,   Utah 


8  ROSTER. 

COMMITTEES — 1908. 

EXECUTIVE   COMMITTEE. 

E.  A.  Colburn,  Denver,  Colorado;  W.  F.  R.  Mills,  Denver,  Colorado; 
Col.  Thomas  Ewing,  Vivian,  Arizona. 

PROGRAM  COMMITTEE. 

J.  F.  Callbreath,  Jr.,  Denver,  Colorado;  Alexander  Dempster,  Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania;  Dr.  H.  M.  Payne,  Morgantown,  West  Virginia. 

COMMITTEE  ON  ALASKAN  LAWS. 

James  J.  Godfrey,  Seattle,  Washington;  John  H.  McGraw,  Seattle, 
Washington;  Watson  Allen,  Seattle,  Washington. 

AUDITING  COMMITTEE. 

E.  G.  Reinert,  Denver,  Colorado;  W.  E.  Bridgman,  Denver, 
Colorado. 

PROTECTION  AGAINST  MINING  FRAUDS. 

C.  J.  Downey,  Denver,  Colorado;  Hon.  John  J.  Lentz,  Columbus, 
Ohio;  H.  J.  Cantwell,  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Hon.  H.  C.  Beeler,  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming;  Maj.  F.  C.  Vincent,  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

SMELTER  RATES. 

E.  A.  Colburn,  Denver,  Colorado,  Chairman;  Geo.  W.  Riter,  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah;  E.  M.  DeLa  Vergne,  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado.  H. 
S.  Joseph,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Dr.  L.  D.  Gods-hall,  Needles,  California. 

VERTICAL  SIDE  LINE  LAW. 

John  A.  Church,,  New  York  City;  Chas.  J.  Hughes,  Jr.,  Denver, 
Colorado;  R.  A.  F.  Penrose,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania;  Hon.  Thomas 
Kearns,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Geo.  E.  Collins,  Denver,  Colorado. 

PREVENTION    OF    MINE    ACCIDENTS. 

Dr.  H.  Foster  Bain,  Urbana,  Illinois;  H.  H.  Stoek,  Scranton,  Penn- 
sylvania; F.  W.  Parsons,  New  York;  B.  F.  Bush,  St.  Louis,  Missouri; 
Herman  B.  Hesse,  Frostburg,  Maryland. 

GENERAL  REVISION  OF  MINING  LAWS. 

W.  R.  Ingalls,  505  Pearl  Street,  New  York;  J.  R.  Finlay,  71  Broad- 
way, New  York;    J.  Parke  Channing,   42   Broadway,  New  York;    John 
Hays  Hammond,  New  York;   Dr.  James  Douglas,  New  York. 
INVESTIGATION  OF  THE  NATIONAL   FOREST  SERVICE   AND   ITS 

EFFECT  UPON  THE   MINING  INDUSTRY. 

A.  G.  Brownlee,  Denver,  Colorado;  George  J.  Bancroft,  Denver, 
Colorado;  E.  A.  Colburn,  Denver,  Colorado;  William  P.  Daniels,  Den- 
ver, Colorado;  W.  F.  R.  Mills,  Denver,  Colorado. 

Officers  for  the  Year  19O9 

PRESIDENT, 

J.   H.   Richards. 

VICE    PRESIDENTS, 

E.  R.  Buckley,  John  Dern, 

W.  F.  R.  Mills. 

DIRECTORS, 

J.   H.    Richards,   Boise,   Idaho. 
Thomas  Ewing,  Fenner,  California. 
E.   R.   Buckley,   Flat  River,   Missouri. 
George  W.  E.  Dorsey,  Fremont,  Nebraska. 
W.  F.  R.  Mills,  Denver,  Colorado. 
John  Dern,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
Samuel  A.  Taylor,  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania. 
H.  Foster  Bain,  Urbana,  Illinois. 
A.   G.  Brownlee,   Denver,   Colorado. 

SECRETARY, 
James  F.  Callbreath,  Jr.,  Denver,  Colorado. 

EXECUTIVE   COMMITTEE, 

John  Dern,  A.  G.  Brownlee, 

W.   F.   R.   Mills. 


OFFICERS  AND  DIRECTORS 


HON.  J.   H.  RICHARDS 

President 
Boise,    Idaho 


W.   F.  R.   MILLS 

Third  Vice  President 

Denver,   Colorado 


JAS.    F.    CALLBREATH,    ,JK. 

Secretary 
Denver,   Colorado 


IHt.  i:.  II.  BUCKLEY 
First  Vice  President 
Flat  River,  Missouri 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS 


COL.   A.   G.   BROWNLEE 
Denver,  Colorado 


COL.    GEO.    W.    E.    DOUSE V 
Fremont,    Nebraska 


JOHN    BERN 
Second  Vice  President 
Salt   Lake   City,   Utah 


SAMUEL    A.   TAYLOR 
Pittsburgh,    Pennsylvania 


COL.  THOMAS  EWIJNG 
Fenner,  California 


REPORT  OF  THE  PROCEEDINGS 

OF  THE 

Eleventh  Annual  Session  of  the  American 
Mining  Congress 


Held  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  December  2  to  5  Inclusive,  1908 


WEDNESDAY,    DECEMBER    2,    1908. 
Morning   Session. 

The  opening  session  was  called  to  order  at  10  o'clock,  a,  m.,  by  Mr. 
Samuel  A.  Taylor,  Chairman  Local  Executive  Committee. 

Invocation  by  Dr.  S.  B.  McCormick,  Chancellor  of  the  University  of 
Pittsburgh. 

MR.  TAYLOR:  Gentlemen,  you  have  come  to  our  city  at  the  invi- 
tation of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  which  represents  the  business  inter- 
ests of  this  city  and  community,  a  city  which  is  proverbially  known  as 
the  industrial  center  of  America,  whose  pay-roll  amounts  to  practically 
one  million  dollars  per  day,  and  whose  tonnage  exceeds  the  four  greatest 
sea-ports  of  the  world.  It  is  to  such  an  industrial  hive  as  this  that  you 
have  come  at  the  invitation  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  It  is  fitting, 
therefore,  that  your  welcome  should  be  extended  by  the  president  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  who  also  represents  at  this  time  the  mayor  of 
our  city,  who  is  obliged  to  be  absent  and,  therefore,  unable  to  meet  with 
us  at  this  time. 

I  have  the  honor  of  introducing  the  president  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  Mr.  Lee  S.  Smith.  (Applause.) 

MR.  LEE  S.  SMITH:  Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  After 
I  had  been  asked  to  represent  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  welcome 
you  to  our  City  on  its  behalf,  our  mayor,  the  Hon.  George  W.  Guth.rie, 
sent  me  a  communication  asking  me  to  represent  him  also,  as  he  could 
not  be  present  on  this  occasion;  so  I  take  great  pleasure  in  appearing  in 
this  dual  capacity. 

I  suppose,  for  some  reasons,  as  representative  of  the  mayor  of  the 
city,  I  ought  in  accordance  with  historical  custom  to  tender  to  you  the 
keys  of  the  city,  but  I  do  not  think  that  is  proper  on  this  occasion  for  a 
number  of  reasons.  In  the  first  place,  we  have  no  keys  and  we  have 
no  gates,  and  if  we  had  we  would  throw  them  all  off  their  hinges  to 
admit  the  American  Mining  Congress  within  the  walls  of  our  city— the 
center  of  such  great  mining  interests.  And  then,  too,  if  we  did  close 
our  gates  against  gentlemen  of  your  ability,  skill  and  talent,  you  would 
mine  under  the  walls  and  come  in  anyhow.  So  on  behalf  of  the  mayor 
of  the  city  I  just  simply  say,  you  are  a  thousand  times  welcome  within 
the  borders  of  greater  Pittsburgh. 

I  am  not  going  to  take  up  your  time  by  enumerating  the  items  of 
our  greatness.  You  already  know  them.  And  I  am  not  going  to  take 
up  your  time  in  extolling  the  mining  interests  and  your  great  calling,  be- 
cause what  I  do  not  know  of  them  would  make  a  very  large  library,  and 
Keep  you  busy  all  the  balance  of  your  lives  in  studying  the  subject  out. 


10  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

You  are  welcome  to  the  city.  On  behalf  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce of  Pittsburg,  I  want  to  say  just  a  word  or  two,  because  we  have 
the  Honorable  James  Francis  Burke,  M.  C.,  here  to  extend  10  yon  an 
address  of  welcome,  and  we  pay  him  for  his  addresses  and  he  is  always 
ready  with  them.  (Laughter.)  For  this  reason  I  wish  to  say  just  a 
word  on  behalf  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Pittsburg.  In  the  first 
place,  Chambers  of  Commerce  are  of  very  ancient  lineage.  We  find  that 
the  first  one  was  organized  about  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  century 
in  Marseille®,  France.  The  movement  spread  over  France,  and  finally 
got  over  into  England,  although  that  great  commercial  nation  was  very 
slow  to  'take  up  the  matter.  But  tracing  the  history  of  Chambers  of  Com- 
merce of  the  past,  we  find  that  they  devoted  their  time  and  attention 
almost  altogether  to  the  interests  of  their  individual  members,  and  not 
for  the  general  good;  so  much  so  did  this  exist  in  France  that  they  were 
suppressed  on  several  occasions.  But  finally  they  have  come  to  realize 
that  they  have  a  higher  and  nobler  calling  than  simply  looking  after  the 
commercial  interests  of  the  members  of  the  Chambers,  and  that  is  to  try 
to  do  something  lor  the  community,  for  the  state  and  for  the  nation,  and 
I  assure  you  candidly  that  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Pittsburg,  (like 
some  of  its  co-laborers  throughout  the  United  States),  is  devoting  about 
nine-tenths  of  its  time  to  public  interests  of  civic,  state  and  national 
character,  and,  therefore,  on  behalf  of  this  Chamber  of  Commerce,  which 
has  extended  to  you  an  invitation  to  come  to  our  great  city,  I  want  to 
say  to  you,  welcome,  thrice  welcome.  We  hope  that  your  deliberations 
here  will  be  not  only  beneficial  to  yourselves  but  to  our  city  as  well. 
(Applause.) 

MR.  TAYLOR:  In  connection  with  what  has  already  been  stated  I 
wish  to  say  that  there  are  some  things  other  than  commerciol  ends  at- 
tained in  this  city.  I  wish  to  read  an  original  poem  by  Judge  Joseph 
Buffington,  of  our  United  States  Court,  which  was  written  a  short  time 
ago,  and  delivered  at  a  meeting  of  the  alumni  of  the  University  of  Pitts- 
burg, entitled,  "The  City  of  Pitt." 

City  of  Pitt,  to  thee,. 
Set  by  the  rivers  three, 

Washington  won. 
From  France's  lillies  torn, 
To  Saxon  freedom  sworn, 
Spot  where  the  West  was  born, 

We  be  thy  sons. 

Mine  rich  thy  rugged  hills, 
Girdling  thy  thousand  mills, 

City  wealth  blest. 
Teach  us,  Great  God,  to  know. 
That  as  we  reap  we  sow; 
Let  not  wealth  bring  us-  low, 

This  our  behest. 

In  home,  in   church,   in    school 
In  lives  wihere  virtue  rules, 

These  shape  thy  fate. 
Not  what  is  sold  and  bought — 
In  what  is  lived  and,  thought — 
That  for  which  life  is  fought — 

These  make  thee  great. 

We  have  asked  you  to  come  not  only  to  the  City  of  Pittsburg,  but 
to  the  great  "State  of  Allegheny  County,"  as  Lincoln  termed  it.  We 
have  also  asked  you  to  come  to  our  state  of  Pennsylvania.  We  have  not 
as  a  state  much  to  boast  of  along  the  line  of  precious  metals;  but  we 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  ii 

have  one  of  the  greatest  iron  ore  mines  in  the  United  States  located 
within  our  borders,  as  well  as  great  coal  mines.  Tihe  statistics  of  the 
United  States  Geological  Survey  show  that  of  the  entire  amount  of  coal 
produced  in  the  United  States  from  1814  to  1907,  inclusive,  which  was 
6,865,097,567  tons,  Pennsylvania  produced  3,777,579,574  tons,  or  prac- 
tically fifty-five  per  cent,  of  all  the  coal  that  has  been  produced  in  the 
United  States  in  this  period  of  time.  In  1907,  of  tihe  480,363,424  tons  of 
coal  produced  in  the  United  States,  Pennsylvania  produced  235,747,489 
tons,  or  practically  fifty  per  cent.  We,  therefore,  can  reler  with  some 
pride  to  Pennsylvania  as  being  a  mining  state.  It  is  fitting,  therefore,- 
that  you  should  be  welcomed  here  by  one  who  represents  not  only  Alle- 
gheny County,  but  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  as  well. 

We  have  with  us  at  this  time  a  man  whom  Pittsburg  delights  to 
honor,  and  who  has  been  sent,  after  a  successful  career  in  our  midst  as 
an  attorney,  to  our  National  Congress  to  help  to  legislate  not  only  for 
this  state  but  for  the  Union.  I  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  to  you 
Honorable  James  Francis  Burke,  Congressman  from  thie  31st  district  of 
Pennsylvania.  (Applause.) 

CONGRESSMAN  JAMES  FRANCIS  BURKE:  As  a  Representative 
of  the  United  States  government  and  as  a  citizen  of  the  richest  and  most 
resourceful  valley  in  the  world,  I  sincerely  rejoice  in  your  meeting  and 
extend  you  a  hearty  welcome  and  wish  you  unmeasured  success  in  your 
great  mission, 

Lesson  of  a  Tragedy. 

As  if  it  were  designed  to  lend  a  frightful  significance  by  its  cruel 
coincidence,  a  terrible  tragedy  has  made  doubly  impressive  the  necessity 
and  the  timeliness  of  this  convention. 

The  angry  messenger  of  death  has  again  impressed  us  with  the  fact 
that  the  miner's  lamp  still  burns  in  a  chamber  of  unmastered  mysteries; 
and  that  the  hidden  dangers  of  the  chamber  of  horrors  still  await  to  be 
driven  out  by  the  savage  searchlight  of  an  all  conquering  science  in 
whose  cause  you  have  come  together  from  every  section  of  this  Republic 
today.  -,  ;  ;»> 

From  the  lips  of  every  mi^er,  from  the  grave  of  every  victim  whose 
life  has  been  offered  as  a  .sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  an  undeveloped 
science,  there  will  come  to  ;fp,ur  proceedings  a  heartfelt  benediction. 

As  earnest  crusaders  in  an  earnest  cause  it  is  eminently  fitting  that 
you  should  assemble  in  a  community  in  which  the  very  atmosphere  is 
surcharged  with  a  sincere  interest  in  your  work. 

Duty  of  the  Government. 

A  considerable  portion  of  your  proceedings  will  be  devoted  to  the 
matter  of  enlisting  governmental  co-operaticn  and  in  this  I  shall  mani- 
fest a  profound  interest. 

While  other  governments  may  excel  us  somewhat  in  their  accom- 
plismentsi  in  the  matters  to  be  discussed  here,  I  still  believe  that  no 
other  government  on  earth  in  a  given  length  of  time  has  ever  accom- 
plished more  in  the  development  of  its  resources,  the  enrichment  of  all 
its  people  and  the  enlightenment  of  the  world  than  this  sturdy  -republic, 
which  was  baptized  in  Pensylvania  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago. 

Criticism    Unprofitable. 

If  there  be  those  who  believe  she  h^s  been  remiss  in  some  things, 
let  us  not  weary  the  world  with  frowning  co?  the  faults  of  yesterday,  but 
brighten  the  pathway  of  man  by  picturing  the  more  pleasing  prospects 
of  tomorrow. 

Let  us  remember  that  those  who  turn  their  faces  toward  the  sun 
cast  all  their  shadows  behind,  while  those  who  turn  their  backs  upon 
it  never  place  their  footsteps  where  a  shadow  does  not  fall. 


12  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

A   National   Bureau  of  Mines. 

One  of  the  pictures  I  feel  justified  in  hanging  in  prospect  before 
you  today  for  unveiling  within  sixty  days  is  that  of  a  well  manned  and 
adequately  equipped  Bureau  of  Mines  in  the  Department  of  the  Interior 
of  the  United  States  government. 

To  the  man  who  calls  this  paternalism  let  ir.ie  say  that  that  same 
cry  was  raised  when  the  Bureau  of  Agriculture  was  projected,  which  has 
since  developed  into  a  Department  whose  work  is  commanding  the  con- 
fidence and  admiration  of  the  world: 

Our  mineral  industry  ranks  second  only  to  agriculture,  its  output 
exceeding  two  billion  dollars  annually. 

Our  manufactures,  with  $14,000,000,000  annual  output,  have  their 
Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor. 

Our  agriculture,  with  its  $7,500,000,000  annual  production,  has  its 
Department  of  Agriculture,  its  Chief  a  member  of  the  President's  Cabi- 
net, while  our  mineral  industries'  with  an  output  of  over  two  billion  dol- 
lars annually,  has  not  even  a  bureau. 

From  1880  to  1900  our  gold  production  more  than  doubled;  oil 
trebled;  coal  quadrupled  and  copper  increased  tenfold;  and  in  the  course 
of  this  production  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  waste  of  material  and  sacri- 
fice of  life  have  been  greater  than  im  any  other  country  in  the  world. 

The   Irreparable  Sacrifice. 

The  tragic  and  permanent  character  of  this  sacrifice  is  revealed  in 
the  realization  that  a  human  life  once  destroyed  is  gone  forever,  and 
that  minerals  once  removed  from  the  earth  are  not  renewed  by  growth 
as  are  the  crops  that  cover  the  fields  or  the  forests  that  crown  the  hills. 

To  prevent  this  waste  is  a  matter  in  which  the  details  are  for  indi- 
vidual effort,  but  the  primary  researches  and  fundamental  experiments 
are  the  logical  and  proper  functions  of  the  general  government. 

Purposes  to  be  Served. 

There  are  three  purposes  to  be  served  by  these  efforts: 

First,  the  prevention  of  the  sacrifice  of  human  life. 

Second,  the  conservation  of  our  known  resources. 

Third,  the  discovery  and  development  of  unknown  resources  for  the 
nation's  enrichment. 

Under  the  first  classification  we  need  only  recall  the  appalling  list 
of  increasing  fatalities  here  and  the  correspondingly  diminishing  de- 
struction of  life  and  property  abroad,  to  impre&s  upon  us  the  need  of 
concerted  action. 

Frightful   Fatalities. 

During  1907  over  1,000  miners  lost  their  lives  in  a  single  month. 

During  the  same  year  3,000  miners  were  killed,  an  increase  of  50 
per  cent,  over  1906. 

Our  federal  safety  appliance  and  employers'  liability  laws  were  en- 
acted as  a  result  of  the  awful  slaughter  of  railroad  men,  year  after  year, 
yet  while  for  each  1,000  railroad  men  2%  are  killed  annually,  for  every 
1,000  miners  3%  are  sacrificed1.  The  number  of  miners  killed  or  injured 
in  1906  reached  the  awful  total  of  7,000. 

That  this  appalling  loss  of  life  can  be  diminished  by  government  ex- 
periment and  aid  has  been  proven  by  both  France  and  Belgium,  where 
they  have  decreased1  the  mortality  in  such  cases  fully  two-thirds. 

The  states  in  the  exercise  of  their  police  power  and  the  federal  gov- 
ernment in  its  control  of  interstate  commerce  should  provide  and  en- 
force the  most  rigid  rules  regarding  the  manufacture  and  sales  of  ex- 
plosives, and  wherever  the  word  "flameless,"  or  "safety,"  or  kindred 
labels  are  improperly  attached,  or  old  titles  given  to  new  and  more  dan- 
gerous explosives,  the  punishment  should  be  prompt  and  severe. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  13 

The  same  general  strictness  should  be  required  in  labeling  explos- 
ives as  are  required  in  labeling  poisons.. 

Under  the  second  classification  it  is  a  notorious  .fact  that  the  per- 
centage of  light,  heat  and  power  derived  from  the  present  manner  of 
converting  our  resources  into  commercial  value  are  infinitesimal  com- 
pared with  what  might  be  derived  through  scientific  methods.  The  pos- 
sibilities in  this  regard  in  the  matter  of  electricity,  the  consumption  of 
coal  and  lignites  are  too  vast  to  permit  of  detailed  discussion  by  me. 

Under  the  third  classification,  there  is  the  possibility  of  the  ultimate 
discovery  of  vanadium,  the  most  precious  and  valued  of  all  alloys  in  the 
making  of  steel.  When  wie  import  it  we  pay  to  the  enterprising  gentle- 
men who  have  discovered  it  in  other  countries  $10,000'  per  ton.  For 
want  of  knowledge  we  do  not  produce  it,  but  many  believe  we  shall  at 
no  distant  futune  date. 

Radium,  the  rarest  of  all  minerals,  a  government  of  small  area  but 
of  a  scientific  turn  of  mindi  has  developed,  and  today  when  we  make 
known  our  needs  of  it,  we  must  ,beg  practically  every  atom  of  it  from 
Austria,  which  has  also  a  virtual  monopoly  of  its  associate  mineral, 
uranium. 

We  have  discovered  in  this  country  many  of  the  same  minerals  and 
geological  characteristics  that  mark  the  vicinity  of  these  precious  min- 
erals in  Austria,  and  it  is  believed  by  many  that  with  a  bureau  continu- 
ously investigating  the  properties  and  potentialities  of  these  minerals 
and  the  elements  surrounding  them  the  discovery  of  the  more  precious 
ones  will  follow. 

Your  great  work  is  still  in  its  infancy,  but  in  the  prosecution  of  your 
researches  and  experiments  I  know  of  no  surer  way  of  insuring  success 
in  solving  the  perplexing  problems  that  now  baffle  the  miners  of  the 
land,  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  human  life,  to  conserve  the  known 
resource's  of  the  nation  and  promote  the  development  of  new  elements 
of  enrichment  than  to  be  animated  and  inspired  by  that  spirit  of,  un- 
daunted courage  and  never-ending  hope  which  has  'marked  the  whole  en- 
chanting story  of  that  prince  of  the  world's  great  adventurers — the 
American  miner. 

The  word  "fail"  never  found  a  lodging  place  in  his  lexicon,  whether 
he  was  leading  the  hosts  of  civilization  from  where  the  waves  sobbed  on 
the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  to  where  the  winds  moaned  their  miserere1  in 
the  wilderness  of  the  Alleghanies;  whether  he  was  breasting  the  current 
of  the  Mississippi  or  blazing  the  white  man's  pathway  through  virgin 
forests  to  the  lead  mines  of  Illinois,  Missouri,  Iowa  and  Wisconsin; 
whether  he  was  trailing  across  the  plains  to  the  Rockies  or  from  the 
snowstorms  of  the  mountains  to  the  sun-kissed  ihills  and  valleys  of  the 
Golden  Gate,  where  his  dreams  at  last  came  true;  where  his  sacrifices 
and  successes,  his  tribulations  and  his  triumphs  made  fiction  common- 
place in  the  presence  of  fact;  baffled  the  poet  and  compelled  the  world 
to  recognize  a  new  standard  of  values  in  manhood  as  well  as  money. 

With  such  an  example  to  inspire  there  need  be  no  fear  of  failure 
by  those  who  follow  in  his  footsteps. 

MR.  TAYLOR:  Before  turning  over  the  gavel  to  your  honored 
president,  I  wish  to  state  to  those  who  have  the  advance  programs  that 
they  will  find  upon  them  a  list  of  the  various  committees  in  connection 
with  the  Congress,  and  if  there  is  anything  which  you  desire,  which  you 
do  not  know  where  to  secure  or  find  out  about,  if  you  will  make  your 
wants  known  to  some  member  of  these  committees),  he  will  endeavor  to 
supply  your  needs. 

I  now  turn  tihe  gavel  over  to  your  president,  a  man  who  needs  no 
words  of  introduction  from  me,  Honorable  J.  H.  Richards  of  Boise, 
Idaho.  (Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  seems  that  the ..  committee  on  pro- 
gram have  arranged  that  I  should,  in  a  measure  at  least,  respond  to  the 
generous  welcome  which  has  been  extended  to  the  delegates  and  mem- 


14  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

bers  of  this  session  of  the  American  Mining  Congress.  You  can  readily 
understand  the  embarrassment  that  one  in  my  position  would  feel  in 
coming  after  the  gentleman  whom  you  have  just  heard;  but  in  all  sin- 
cerity I  will  say  that  I  am  willing  to  come  after  such  men  .because  I 
naturally  fall  into  that  slot. 

We  have  had  demonstrated  to  us  here  this  morning  that  this  section 
of  our  great  country  not  ony  produces  the  greatest  industrial  develop- 
ment the  world  has  ever  seen,  but  is  producing  the  greatest  men  the 
nation  has  ever  beheld  also,  and  they  extend  to  us  the  ideas  which  propel 
us  on,  and  the  ideas  that  rule  this  nation  today  and  set  in  action  those 
forces  that  accompliS'h  the  purposes  of  men,  and  as  we  gather  ihere  from 
the  north  and  the  south  and  the  east  and  the  west,  we  come  to  this 
great  industrial  center  with  a  message  of  good.  We  hope  by  the  ex- 
change of  ideas  here,  by  the  great  mining  experts  of  the  nation  that  we 
may  be  able  to  set  in  motion  those  intelligent  forces  which  will  lift  the 
pall  of  mourning  from  the  broken  hearts  of  the  miners'  homes,  and  let 
in  the  light  of  hope  that  intelligence  and  science  can  reveal  to  them 
and  give  them  confidence  in  coal  mining  in  the  future.  It  is  these  ideas 
which  propel  us  on,  and  make  the  measure  of  good  that  we  would  do  in 
this  world.  We  come  here  from  all  over  this  broad  land  to  sit  for  a  few 
hours  at  the  feet  of  these  great  giants  of  industry  at  Pittsburg.  They 
are  constructive  geniuses  that  we  find  here.  Put  a  man  from  Pittsburg 
anywhere  in  this  great  country  and  he  goes  to  work  to  construct  an 
empire.  Bring  your  Kuhns  out  into  the  great  valleys  and  deserts  of 
Idaho,  and  there  they  replace  the  wild  animals  which  have  for  ages  oc- 
cupied those  deserts  with  >happy  childhood,  homes,  temples  of  worship, 
and  temples  of  learning  by  reclaiming  the  desert.  Drop  other  men  from 
Pittsburg  out  into  the  State  of  Idaho,  and  they  develop  the  great  mines 
like  the  Trade  Dollar;  and  not  satisfied  with  that  victory  they  'harness 
the  great  Snake  river  to  the  wheels  of  industry  and  lift  a  part  of  the 
burden  of  toil  from  the  shoulders  of  the  miners.  Not  satisfied  with 
that,  such  men  as  your  Guffeys  and  Barnsdels  from  this  great  state  go 
to  building  railroads  and  interurban  lines.  So  they  are  sent  to  that  em- 
pire that  is  being  builded  out  there.  And  when  I  listened  to  the  Chan- 
cellor of  the  University  of  Pittsburg — and  he  and  I  were  young  men  to- 
gether, and  to  a  large  extent  our  hopes  were  cast  in  the  same  mold — I 
find  that  he  is  called  back  here  from  the  great  West  to  construct  and 
demonstrate  to  this  state  the  highest  fruitage  of  civilization,  yea,  the 
crowriing  glory  of  the  civilization  of  this  nation,  a  great  university.  It 
will  not  be  ten  years  under  his  direction  until  that  will  be  heralded  as 
one  of  the  greatest  institutions  of  learning  in  this  broad  land. 

Wherever  you  follow  a  man  from  this  section  of  industry  you  will 
find  the  constructive  forces  which  will  speak  well  for  his  commonwealth. 

These  are  great  thoughts,  and  they  are  worthy  of  our  consideration 
because  they  enter  into  the  very  well-being  of  our  nation.  We  might 
dwell  .on  these  things  a  long  time,  but  it  is  better  perhaps  that  we  pro- 
gress. However,  I  am  reminded  that  I  am  also  called  upon  to  respond, 
perharps,  in  behalf  of  the  lady  delegates  to  this  Congress.  We  have  been 
taught  from  the  dawn  of  our  national  life  that  we  all  stand  on  a  perfect 
equality  before  the  law.  Out  in  that  young  State  of  Idaho  we  have  e&- 
tabished  that  perfect  equality.  There  the  husband  and  wife  stand  hand 
in  hand,  side  by  side,  facing  the  conflict  of  the  future  on  a  perfect  equal- 
ity. And  wie  believe  the  time  is  coming  when  you  will  recognize  that 
the  mother  thought  is  a  cleansing  thought  at  least  in  municipal  affairs. 
(Applause.)  They  have  that  influence  in  our  country,  and  I  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  say  here  today  that  that  little  city  of  Boise  is  largely  governed  by 
the  mothers  of  that  city,  and  today  it  is  the  best  sewered,  the  best 
paved,  the  best  sidewalked,  the  best  watered,  the  best  shaded  and  the 
cleanest  city  of  its  size  between  the  two  oceans.  It  is  the  effect  of  this 
larger  housekeeping  that  the  womanhood  of  the  West  have  upon  our 
growth  and  progress  there. 


AMERICAN   MINING   CONGRESS  15 

We  come  here  as  men  interested  in  national  affairs.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  this  nation  will  meet  any  emergency  that  it  may  be  called 
upon  to  solve,  ,but  we  do  believe  that  on  these  great  questions  of  mining, 
as  was  expressed  here,  the  unsolved  mystery,  (cause  of  mine  explosions) 
that  our  nation  will  meet  it  when  it  understands  that  the  mining  men  of 
this  nation  demand  assistance  at  the  hands  of  the  government.  It 
always  has  co-operated  with  the  constructive  builders-  of  this  country 
and  it  always  will  when  it  knows*  that  its  help  i®  needed.  The  miner  is 
always  the  pioneer.  He  is  the  man  that  started  the  trails  of  civilzation 
across  these  great  western  deserts,  opened  up  the  great  territory  of 
Alaska;  it  is  thie  miner  who  lays,  the  legial  foundation1  of  progress  and 
industry  in  our  country.  Then  when  'the  miner  calls  upon  the  govern- 
ment to  co-operate  with  him  in  solving  the  great  national  questions,  the 
government  will  respond  if  the  mining  men  of  this  country  will  but  get 
together  in  a  national  organization  and  let  the  government  at  Washing- 
ton know  that  the  miners  of  this  country  need  the  aid  of  the  government. 
The  government  always  has  responded  and  it  always  will  respond  and 
we  just  heard  from  this  platform  a  few  minutes  ago  that  Congress  will 
grant  thie  request  that  this  organization  has  been  making  for  years,  and 
give  us  a  bureau  of  mining. 

I  have  faith  in  our  government,  because  I  have  faith  in  the  man- 
hood of  my  country.  When  the  manhood  demands  that  those  who  repre- 
sent us  at  Washington  co-operate  with  us,  they  will  respond  in  kind. 

I  was  talking  with  one  of  your  leading  mining  operators  here  the 
other  day,  and  he  was  afraid  of  government  interference,  but  I  said,  "Do 
you  not  recognize,  sir,  that  since  this  great  disaster  has  come  over  this 
community  which,  if  it  had  happened  in  war  would  have  put  this  whole 
nation  in  mourning,  that  legislation  will  come  whether  you  demand  it 
or  not,  and  it  is  about  time  that  the  leading  mining  men  of  this  great 
land  get  together  and  let  Oongriess  know  the  character  of  laws  that  we 
need  to  advance  the  mining  industry  and  place  it  on  a  plane  worthy  of 
its  importance?"  He  said,  "Yes,  I  recognize  that." 

And  that  is  the  message  we  bring  to  you  here,  from  the  West.  The 
West  is  being  converted  into  a  vast  empire  by  the  men  from  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Ohio  and  Indiana.  We  come  back  here  and  tell  you  that  we 
meed  to  nationalize  these  thoughts,  and  not  have  them  too  local. 

So  in  response  to  this*  generous  welcome  and  the  gracious  words 
that  have  been  spoken  to  us,  I  wish  you  to  feel  that  we  come  here  with 
a  message  that  will  help  you,  as  well  as  the  wonderful  instruction  which 
we  receive  when  we  come  into  this  great  city,  will  help  us.  Wise  co- 
operation, co-ordination  and  conservation  must  he  the  key  note  to  Ameri- 
can future  industrial  development.  Intelligence  must  guide  it,  and  in 
order  that  we  may  have  the  laws  which  should  always  be  the  expression 
of  the  highest  wisdom  of  the  people,  that  we  may  have  that  and  have 
it  rest  upon  the  needs  of  the  mining  industry,  it  is  necessary  that  the 
miners  let  Congress  know  the  character  of  laws  that  will  best  serve 
this  country  and  this  industry;  and  then  let  the  courts  interpret  those 
laws  in  the  light  of  the  conditions  to  which  they  are  intended  to  apply, 
and  victory  will  come. 

I  do  not  know  how  to  express  the  gratitude  which  we  feel  for  the 
greeting  that  the  people  of  Pittsburg  have  given  to  us.  I  know  no  better 
way  to  express  it  than  by  the  work  that  we  do  here,  to  show  them  the 
sincerity  that  we  feel  in  the  mission,  that  we  feel  this  great  national 
organization  has  to  perform  in  bringing  to  mining  the  best  that  can  be 
brought  out  of  the  mine  and  out  of  the  miner.  (Applause.) 

The  committee  on  program  have  arranged  a  number  of  responses. 
I  will  read  the  names  as  they  are  given  on  the  program. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     I  omit  Dr.  Alderson,  by  his  request. 

DR.  VICTOR  C.  ALDERSON,  President  Colorado  School  of  Mines 
Golden,  Colorado:  My  dear  Judge,  I  want  to  say  a  word. 


16  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Dr.  Alderson,  come  to  the  platform  and 
say  it.  This  Congress  is  always  glad  to  hear  from  Dr.  Alderson  of  Colo- 
rado. 

DR.  ALDERSON:  It  is  net  very  often  that  I  am  anxious  to  say  a 
word,  but  I  am  at  this  moirent.  I  want  to  say  just  one  word  for  Colo- 
rado, because,  while  we  feel  under  the  greatest  obligation  to  your  con- 
gressman for  his  assistance  in  passing  this  bill,  I  feel  that  I  must  cor- 
rect his  facts  in  regard  to  the  production  of  tungsten  and  uranium  and 
vanadium.  (Applause.)  My  friends  from  Colorado  knew  the  moment 
they  heard  those  facts  expressed  that  I  had  entirely  recovered.  If  the 
manufacturers  of  steel  in  Pennsylvania  want  tungsten,  they  can  get  it  in 
Colorado  by  the  ton.  If  they  want  uranium  and  vanadium  they  can  get 
it  in  Colorado  in  commercial  quantities.  It  may  be  interesting  for  the 
gentlemen  to  know  further  that  our  investigations  there  along  the  lines 
of  these  rare  metals  is  an  investigation  surpassed  by  none  others  in  the 
whole  wide  world  along  these  lines.  During  a  trip  through  Europe  last 
summer  I  found  that  the  investigations  made  by  our  people  in  Colorado 
concerning  uranium  and  vanadium  and  tungsten  wiere  so  complete  that 
they  were  looking  to  us  for  the  most  advanced  and  up-to-date  information 
and  experimentation.  (Applause.) 

We  love  to  think  of  Pennsylvania,  however,  and  we  like  to  compli- 
ment her  by  saying  that  we  have  a  PittS'burg  of  the  West,  a  form  of  com- 
pliment that  certainly  is  sincere.  We  love  to  think  that  in  the  north- 
western part  of  our  state  there  is  an  undeveloped  empire,  and  we  love 
to  compare  the  deposits  of  coal  found  there  with  the  great  deposit  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  we  love  to  say  "second  only  to  Pennsylvania."  We 
love  to  think,  in  the  same  line,  when  we  were  digging  for  oil,  we  turn  to 
Pennsylvania  for  the  latest  improvements.  We  like  to  think  that  ours 
is  at  least  a  "seven-metal"  state,  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  coal, 
iron,  making  it  a  state  that  can  be  recognized  as  representatively  and 
distinctly  mining  in  all  its  forms,  so  that  when  we  reply  here  and  answer 
for  Colorado  we  feel  that  we  are  justified  in  taking  that  broad  view  of 
mining  as  a  whole,  the  whole  grand  industry,  that  lies  at  the  founda- 
tion of  all  of  our  life  and  of  all  of  our  prosperity,  the  basis  of  industry  in 
Pittsburg  and  Pennsylvania,  an  industry  without  which  we  could  not 
exist.  (Applause.) 

CONGRESSMAN  BURKE:  Dr.  Alderson,  Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen:  Just  a  word.  I  see  here  my  friend  Congressman  Chaney, 
who  led  the  fight  for  the  bureau  of  mines  and  mining.  I  hope  Dr.  Aider- 
son  is  not  under  misapprehension  as  to  what  I  said.  I  agree  with  every 
word  that  my  friend  says  with  reference  to  the  progressiveness  of  Colo- 
rado, and  I  only  wish  that  every  ouier  state  in  the  union  were  doing  as 
much,  and  my  contention  is  that  now  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of 
this  government,  the  United  States  government  which  has  been  asked 
to  participate  in  these  developments,  has  taken  a  hand  and  proposes  to 
assist  the  various  state  governments  of  the  United  States  in  accomplish- 
ing what  Colorado  has  already  so  admirably  accomplished  within  the 
limits  of  her  borders,  So  far  as  tungsten  is  concerned,  of  course  they 
are  producing  tungsten,  and  we  are  using  tungsten,  and  because  we  are 
using  it  we  are  adding  to  the  glory  and  the  wealth  of  Colorado  as  well 
as  Pennsylvania,  so  that  proves  that  with  a  combination  like  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Colorado  you  can  beat  the  world.  (Applause.) 

But  let  me  say  this,  that  so  far  as  vanadium  is  concerned,  we  are 
importing  it,  and  so  far  as  uranium  is  concerned,  it  was  developed 
primarily,  as  the  Doctor  will  tell  you,  in  other  countries,  and  that  in- 
spired the  miners  of  Colorado  and  the  scientists  of  Colorado,  leaders  of 
thought  and  action  such  as  my  friend  is  on  this  platform  today,  to  do 
what  they  are  doing  in  Colorado  and  other  western  states,  and  I  say, 
God  speed  them. 

But  in  addition  to  that  I  wish  to  say  that  with  my  assistance  and 
with  the  assistance  of  other  gentlemen  on  the  floor  of  Congress  inter- 


AMERICAN   MINING   CONGRESS  17 

ested  in  this  work,  we  propose  to  give  the  helping  hand  of  the  Federal 
government  to  you  in  doing  in  your  state  what  you  have  no  power  to  do 
beyond  the  limits  of  your  state,  because  Colorado  has  110  jurisdiction  in 
Pennsylvania,  Pennsylvania  no  jurisdiction  in  Alamaba  or  Calitornia,  so 
that  you  are  confined  within  the  limits  of  your  borders,  under  the  con- 
stitutions of  these  states.  The  power  given  to  the  Federal  government 
is  only  -to  bring  about  a  universal  harmony  in  the  association  of  these 
great  things,  and  I  am  anxious  to  see  the  Federal  government  aid  in 
bringing  about  that  harmony,  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  one  great 
purpose  in  which  my  friend  from  Colorado  and  I  myself  are  equally  in- 
terested. (Applause.) 

PRE/SIDENT  RICHARDS:  A  miner  likes  this  free  exchange  of 
thought.  If  there  is  any  individual  on  earth  who  expresses  himself 
freely  out  in  the  western  country  it  is  the  American  miner.  Even  a 
mule  can  understand  him.  (Laughter.) 

We  have  next  on  the  program  Hon.  John  C.  Chaney,  Congressman, 
Sullivan,  Indiana. 

HON.  JOHN  C.  CHANEY  OF  INDIANA:  Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen:  I  have  .been  already  mentioned  as  one  who  led  the  fight  for 
the  eatablisment  of  a  bureau  of  mines  and  mining  in  the  lower  house  of 
Congress,  and  for  the  appropriation  of  $150,000  by  which  the  govern- 
ment testing  plant  in  Pittsburg  was  authorized.  And  I  am  very  glad  to 
say  that  I  have  been  very  much  interested  in  the  establishment  of  a 
bureau  distinctly  in  the  interest  of  the  mining  industry  of  the  United 
States. 

I  certainly  agree  with  Congressman  Burke  in  his  statement  that  the 
government  itself  may  be  of  some  assistance  in  the  great  development 
of  the  United  Stales,  and  yet  not  become  paternalistic.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary that  the  government  shall  have  charge  or  shall  own  any  of  the 
great  enterprises  of  the  United  States  in  order  to  be  of  assistance  in 
their  progress.  (Applause.)  It  is,  therefore,  proper  and  very  pertinent 
indeed  that  the  government  should  lend  its  aid  in  every  direction  which 
can  be  conducive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  people  of  the  United  States 
in  whatever  branch  of  effort  they  may  be  engaged.  It  can  supplement 
the  states  in  \v.hat  they  seek  to  do  in  these  lines. 

I  live  in  a  part  of  the  United  States  where  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
coal  mining.  We  have  in  Indiana  seven  veins  of  bituminous  coal.  We 
also  have  the  block-coal.  The  thinnest  one  of  these  seven  veins  is 
four  feet  nine  inches  thick.  The  thickest  of  these  veins  is  eight  feet  in 
thickness.  Up  to  a  very  few  years  ago  we  did  not  pursue  very  scien- 
tific methods  of  coal  mining,  but  the  state  itself  has  taken  up  the  work 
and  has  done  a  very  great  deal  of  good.  We  occasionally  have  ihad 
some  of  these  terrible  disasters  in  our  mining  enterprises  which  have 
caused  everyone  to  look  for  a  remedy  and  to  try  to  ascertain  what  is 
the  cause  of  such  great  catastrophes. 

There  is  not  so  much  gas  or  fire  damp  or  dust  in  the  mines  of  In- 
diana that  we  should  be  particularly  interested  more  than  others.  These 
dangers  come,  however,  to  all  of  the  various  coal  mines  of  the  country, 
and  demand  our  attention.  We  can  all  speak  with  pride  of  the  develop- 
ment of  the  various  states  of  the  Union,  and  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  Colo- 
rado has  found  that  we  have  many  of  those  minerals  which  we  have  had, 
as  Mr.  Burke  has  stated,  to  import  from  other  countries.  We  live  in  a 
land  favored  in  all  useful  and  valuable  natural  resources. 

I  believe  that  in  the  United  States  we  will  find  everything  that  will 
be  needed  for  the  great  development  of  the  people  of  the  country,  and 
all  we  need  to  do  is  to  find  and  develop  them.  This  bureau  of  mines 
and  mining,  in  my  judgment,  will  enable  us  not  only  to  conserve  the 
natural  resources  in  the  mineral  productions  of  the  United  States,  but 
it  will  also  enable  us  to  ascertain  how  to  develop  them  with  safety. 
Human  life  is  above  all  other  things  of  the  first  consideration.  I  do  not 
know  but  what  this  great  disaster  out  at  Marianna,  Pennsylvania,  a  few 


18  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

days  ago,  has  come  at  an  opportune  time,  if  it  had  to  come.  It  causes 
every  one  of  us  to  feel  in  serious  earnest  about  this  great  question  of 
how  mining  can  be  done  safely,  and  to  endeavor  to  prevent  the  terrible 
catastrophes  which  have  occurred  in  coal  mining.  I  am  sure  this  con- 
vention can  do  no  better  service  than  to  pay  some  attention  to  the  scien- 
tific and  practical  study  of  these  terrible  disasters. 

Over  in  West  Virginia  some  time  ago,  I  believe  something  like  350 
men  lost  their  lives  in  a  few  moments,  from  a  cause  which  has  never 
yet  been  absolutely  ascertained;  and  I  believe  it  would  be  difficult  to  as- 
certain with  the  information  which  we  now  have  what  was  the  cause 
of  this  great  Marianna  disaster.  But  at  all  events  the  American  people 
have  that  earnestness  and  enthusiasm  in  what  they  undertake,  and  have 
that  scientific  turn  of  mind  which  will  cause  them  to  study  these  ques- 
tions and  endeavor  to  ascertain  what  the  causes  are,  and  thereby  to  pre- 
vent sudh  disasters  in  the  future. 

I  would  not  undertake  to  say  anything  to  this  convention  of  men 
today  about  mining,  for  I  am  not  a  practical  miner.  I  never  dug  but  one 
wagon  load  of  coal  in  my  life,  and  I  knocked  more  skin  off  of  the 
knuckles  of  my  hands  doing  that  job  than  coal  miners  would  in  a  life- 
time. So  my  experience  has  not  been  ,so  pleasant  in  that  direction.  At 
all  events  not  of  the  scientific  kind. 

I  think  we  are  entitled  to  a  mines  and  mining  bureau,  within  the 
interior  department.  Some  of  those  in  Congress  are  anxious  that  it  shall 
be  a  department  of  the  government  which  will  have  a  cabinet  officer 
who  shall  sit  at  once  in  the  councils  of  the  President.  But  you  know 
how  such  things  have  to  develop.  I  believe  eventually  it  will  result  in 
that,  but  we  can  do  a  great  deal  of  good  through  a  mines  and  mining 
bureau,  as  we  did  in  the  agricultural  bureau  when  it  was  originally 
created.  The  agriculturalist,  you  know,  sings  the  song  of  the  seasons, 
and  we  can  sing  the  song  of  the  development  of  the  earth's  riches  under- 
neath the  surface. 

I  want  to  say  to  you  that  not  only  did  the  large  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  House  of  Representatives  vote  for  this  bill  to  establish  the 
mines  and  mining  bureau,  but  their  sentiment  is  all  in  the  right  direc- 
tion. I  belong  to  a  party  that  put  into  its  platform  assurances  that  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States  would  pass  that  bill  at  the  coming  session 
of  Congress.  And  I  see  one  of  the  Senators  here,  Mr.  Dick  of  Ohio,  and 
I  am  sure  that  he  will  promise  us  now  that  this  will  be  done. 

I  very  much  appreciate  the  attendance  here  this  morning.  I  am  in- 
terested in  what  you  shall  do  here.  I  am  glad  to  have  a  chance  to  take 
a  part  in  this  great  convention  with  you,  and  I  hope  I  may  be  of  some 
service,  and  I  hope  also  to  learn  much  more  than  I  now  know  about  the 
needs  and  business  of  mining.  I  thank  you.  (Applause.) 

DR.  H.  FOSTER  BAIN,  State  Geologist,  Urbana,  Illinois:  I  am  very 
glad  to  say  a  word  for  Illinois  this  morning,  and  I  might  say  that  since 
oil  has  been  discovered  in  our  state  and  so  many  Pittsburg  people  have 
moved  over  there  it  is  almost  like  coming  home  to  come  here  to  talk 
about  mining.  Our  state  has  been  very  fortunate,  particularly  in  the 
character  of  men  who  have  developed  our  resources.  When  oil  and  gas 
were  discovered  a  few  years  ago  in  Illinois,  the  oil  fraternity  took  hold 
of  the  proposition  promptly,  and  I  want  to  say  that  I  do  not  know 
whether  it  was  due  to  the  character  of  the  state  and  our  past  history,  or 
what  it  was,  but  the  development  has  taken  place  with  as  little  of  false 
promotion  as  any  quick  development  I  have  ever  known.  It  has  been 
done  with  the  same  friendly  spirit  of  co-operation  which  characterizes 
our  w.hole  mineral  industry,  and  while  we  migiht  brag  a  good  deal  about 
the  size  of  our  industry  and  the  variety  of  things  we  produce,  we  are 
much  more  pleased  to  speak  of  the  spirit  of  co-operation  which  has  so 
far  characterized  our  whole  development. 

In  our  section,  as  you  perhaps  know,  both  our  miners  and  our  opera- 
tors are  thoroughly  organized.  They  have  tested  each  other's  strength 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  19 

so  many  times  that  they  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  best  thing 
to  do  is  to  work  together.  Indeed,  I  think  we  have  perhaps  the  most 
complete  system  of  working  together  that  miners  and  operators  have 
anywhere  in  America.  We  are  developing  that  same  spirit  all  through 
our  mineral  industry,  and  it  is  a  thing  of  which  we  are  proud. 

I  might  say  something  about  the  great  size  of  our  output.  We  have 
some  75,000  coal  miners.  We  produce  some  fifty  million  tons  of  coal. 
We  are  second  only  to  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  in  the  total  mineral  pro- 
duction. We  produced  last  year  about  twenty-five  million  'barrels  of  oil, 
and  this  year  we  will  run  something  over  thirty  million  barrels;  it  may 
run  up  as  high  as  forty  million  barrels.  All  such  statistics  as  these 
invite  retaliation  and  I  am  inclined  to  be  modest,  particularly  with  my 
friend  from  Colorado  present.  When  he  stood  here  waiting  for  Con- 
gressman Burke  to  get  through  I  was  reminded  of  the  case  of  a  minister 
who  was  called  in  to  preach  the  funeral  sermon  of  a  man  of  whom  he 
knew  nothing.  Being  anxious  to  learn  something  concerning  the  char- 
acter of  the  deceased  iSO  that  he  might  say  appropriate  things,  he  called 
the  man's  son  out  and  said:  "Were  you  present  when  your  father  died?" 
the  son  said  he  was  and  the  minister  asked  him  what  the  last  words  of 
his  father  were.  The  boy  replied:  "There  were  no  last  words,  because 
mother  was  there  to  the  last."  So  I  hardly  dare  venture  :say  anything 
more.  (Applause.) 

PROFESSOR  CHARLES  J.  NORWOOD,  Chief  of  Department  of 
Mines,  Lexington,  Kentucky: 

Kentucky  is  here,  and  wishes  to  say  that  she  is  glad  of  the  oppor- 
tunity of  being  here.  I  must  say  that  we  have  no  vanadium  or  tungsten. 
Kentucky,  I  believe,  has  the  reputation  of  being  boastful  when  it  is 
away  from  home,  but  I  am  not  going  to  say  that  we  have  tungsten  or 
vanadium.  And  I  am  not  going  to  say  that  we  have  not  got  them  either.  I 
know  we  have  some  radium — I  saw  some  the  day  before  I  left. 

Those  of  us  who  have  the  good  fortune  to  live  in  Kentucky  of  late 
years  have  come  to  think  of  two  phases  of  the  state,  old  Kentucky  and 
new  Kentucky.  Old  Kentucky  represents  to  us  the  homestead,  the  place 
where  the  wandering  son  is  fond  of  returning  to  and  being  welcomed  by 
the  lovely  women  to  the  beautiful  home;  .and  the  new  Kentucky  which 
represents  the  industrial  desires,  the  industrial  ambition,  and  Jr.  may  say, 
the  industrial  progress  of  the  state.  When  I  left  home  I  was  told  by  old 
Kentucky  to,invite  you  all  to  come  there  and  inspect  our  industries.  I 
was  told  by  new  Kentucky  to  be  sure  to  hustle  about  and  get  some  capital 
to  come  down  there  and  help  us  develop  the  state.  In  behalf  of  both 
phases  of  our  state  I  thank  you  for  the  welcome  that  has  been  accorded 
to  her  delegate,  and  invite  you  to  come  there  next  year  and  we  will 
endeavor  to  show  our  appreciation  of  your  hospitality.  (Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  We  have  with  us  the  first  life  member 
of  the  American  Mining  Congress,  a  man  who  has  had  a  very  large  part 
in  laying  the  foundations  of  its  future  importance,  Dr.  E.  R.  Buckley  of 
Flat  River,  Missouri. 

DR.  E.  R.  BUCKLEY,  OF  MISSOURI:  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  it  is 
such  a  very  common  occurrence  for  me  to  respond  in  behalf  of  Missouri 
that  I  think  it  is  becoming  very  much  of  a  joke,  especially  to  those  who 
have  attended  these  sessions  from  year  to  year. 

Missouri,  of  course,  is  my  adopted  home,  and  if  anyone  has  a  father- 
in-law  or  a  mother-in-law  that  they  think  more  of  than  I  do  of  Missouri, 
why  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  meet  them. 

I  do  not  think  that  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  praise  or  extol  the 
virtues  of  that  greatest  empire  of  the  west.  It  is  not  necessary  for  me 
to  tell  you  that  Pittsburg  and  Pennsylvania  have  had  a  large  share  in 
the  development  of  our  wonderful  mineral  resources.  It  is  unnecessary 
for  me  to  say  that  perhaps  some  of  the  citizens  of  this  great  state  of 
Pennsylvania  have  been  richly  rewarded  for  their  investments  in  the  state 
of  Missouri,  and  that  some  of  them  may  have  been  wondrously  disap- 


20  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

pointed.  There  is  no  mining  state  in  the  union  that  does  not  disappoint  some 
people  as  well  as  reward  some.  Missouri,  as  you  know,  is  one  of  the 
greatest  -producers  of  lead  and  zinc  in  the  United  States.  I  want  to  state 
more  specifically,  that  there  is  no  state  in  this  union  of  states  that  has  a 
larger  production  of  lead  or  a  larger  production  of  zinc  than  the  state 
of  Missouri.  She  ranks  first  today  in  the  production  of  both.  Her  re- 
sources in  this  regard  exceed  those  of  any  other  state  in  the  union,  and 
probably  will  for  years  to  come.  We  are  very  glad  to  receive  the  people 
of  Pennsylvania,  the  people  of  Pittsburg,  into  our  state,  and  we  shall  be 
very  glad  to  have  them  bring  their  capital  with  them.  We  can  provide 
a  place  for  both.  We  are  both  lead  lined  and  zinc  coated,  and  we  will 
neither  rust  nor  tarnish,  and  you  will  be  perfectly  safe  within  the  borders 
of  pur  state. 

I  wish  at  this  time  to  mention  one  object  of  the  American  Mining 
Congress  which  I  think  has  not  been  sufficiently  amplified  at  this  session 
so  far.  I  wish  to  say  that  several  years  a,go  this  American  Mining  Con- 
gress took  the  position  that  there  is  perhaps  as  much  danger,  that  there 
are  perhaps  as  many  widows  and  orphans,  as  a  result  of  fraudulent 
mining  promotion  in  the  United  States  as  result  from  the  fire  damp  that 
lurks  in  the  coal  mines  of  Pennsylvania;  arid  this  American  Mining 
Congress  ha®  taken  the  stand  once,  twice,  thrice,  at  every  session  she  has 
taken  a  stand  in  opposition  to  all  methods  of  fraudulent  mine  promotion 
in  the  United  States  or  elsewhere.  (Applause.)  And  we  expect  that  the 
United  States  will  co-operate  with  the  honest,  industrious,  conscientious 
mine  owners  and  operators  of  these  United  States  in  stamping  out  that 
most  vicious  of  crimes  which  now  afflicts  our  country. 

I  wish  to  say  to  the  people  of  Pittsburg  and  to  the  people  of  Pennsyl- 
vania that  we  are  very  glad  to  be  here.  My  own  state,  and  more  espec- 
ially the  city  of  Joplin,  had  the  pleasure  of  entertaining  the  Mining  Con- 
gress a  year  ago.  We  received  a  benefit,  we  received  a  reward,  and 
I  trust  that  the  people  who  reside  in  Pittsburg  and  in  Pennsylvania  will 
derive  from  this  session  as  great  profit  and  as  great  benefit  as  did  we 
in  Missouri  from  the  meeting  a  year  ago.  (Applause.) 

DR.  CHAS.  N.  GOULD,  Director  Oklahoma  Geological  Survey,  Nor- 
raan,  Oklahoma: 

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  represent  the  baby.  We  are  only  a  year 
old  down  our  way,  and  consequently  we  have  not  very  much  past,  but 
we  have  a  tremendous  future.  We  are  just  beginning  to  find  out  what 
we  have,  and  we  may  perhaps  be  excused  if  like  all  babies  we  are  a 
little  proud  of  our  possessions.  With  your  indulgence,  in  the  very  few 
minutes  that  I  shall  speak,  I  shall  try  to  enumerate  some  of  the  resources 
of  this,  the  youngest  state  in  the  union. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  speak  of  agriculture.  We  can  raise  everything 
that  is  raised  between  Minnesota  and  the  gulf,  or  between  Maine  and 
California,  better  corn  than  Iowa,  better  wheat  than  Minnesota,  better 
cotton  than  Mississippi.  But  it  is  not  generally  known  that  the  state  of 
Oklahoma  possesses  as  large  a  variety  of  minerals,  in  as  large  quantities, 
as  perhaps  any  other  state  in  the  union,  not  that  Oklahoma  possesses 
everything,  but  she  has  a  very  large  number  of  valuable  minerals. 

Our  coal  fields  are  just  beginning  to  be  developed.  We  only  produced 
three  million  tons  last  year,  tut  we  have  in  the  state  something  like 
eight  or  ten  billions  of  tons  of  coal  undeveloped.  Last  year  we  led  the 
United  States  in  the  production  of  oil,  forty-four  million  barrels,  I  be- 
lieve, and  the  development  is  rapidly  .increasing.  Our  natural  gas  re- 
sources are  practically  inexhaustible.  We  have  no  means  of  knowing 
how  much  natural  gas  is  contained  in  the  state.  Dozens,  scores,  hun- 
dreds of  wells  are  reported  to  produce  all  the  way  up  to  forty  or  fifty 
million  cubic  feet  a  day.  Our  showing  of  natural  gas  is  such  that  it 
is  sold  in  many  of  the  cities  of  Oklahoma  for  manufacturing  purposes 
at  two  and  three  cents  per  thousand  cubic  feet.  So  it  will  be  seen  that 
Oklahoma  possesses  a  very  large  amount  of  valuable  fuel. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  21 

Our  asphalt  deposits  are  very  extensive,  perhaps  as  large  as  those 
of  any  state  in  the  union.  The  western  part  of  Oklahoma  has  enough 
salt  water,  a  saturated  solution  of  salt  brine,  going  to  waste  to  make  a 
hundred  car  loads  of  salt  a  day,  and  not  a  gallon  of  it  is  being  manu- 
factured. We  have  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  billion  tons  of  gypsum, 
enough  to  keep  a  hundred  mills,  each  manufacturing  one  hundred  tons 
per  day,  busy  for  thirty-five  thousand  years.  (Laughter  and  applause.) 
And  if  the  gypsum  were  all  manufactured  and  placed  in  cars  and  the 
cars  were  strung  end  to  end  in  a  train,  that  train  would  reach  around 
the  world  twenty-four  hundred  times  at  the  equator,  so  we  think  we  have 
gypsum  enough  for  local  demand. 

The  only  metals  we  are  producing  now  are  lead  and  zinc.  We  have 
no  means  of  estimating  the  amounts  of  these  rnetals,  but  from  all  re- 
searches that  have  been  made  we  are  safe  in  making  the  statement  that 
within  a  few  years  Oklahoma  will  at  least  rival  Missouri  in  the  produc- 
tion of  lead  and  zinc.  Of  glass  sand,  of  granite,  of  Portland  cement  rock, 
marble,  sandstone,  clays,  shales,  things  of  that  kind,  all  of  high  grade, 
we  have  inexhaustible  quantities.  And  then  we  have  iron  novaculyte, 
tripoli.  volcanic  ash,  perhaps  a  little  of  gold  and  silver  and  a  little  copper. 
At  the  present  time  not  one-half  of  one  per  cent  of  Oklahoma's  mineral 
resources  are  developed. 

Oklahoma  is  now  sometimes  called  the  Pennsylvania  of  the  West. 
I  wish  I  could  be  reincarnated  a  hundred  years1  hence.  I  would  like  to 
come  back,  I  would  like  to  see  if  my  prediction  is  not  true,  that,  in  a 
hundred  years  from  now,  a  certain  little  state  at  the  head  of  the  Ohio 
river  will  be  known  as  the  Oklahoma  of  the  East!  I  thank  you.  (Laugh- 
ter and  applause.) 

HON.  H.  H.  LANG,  Mayor  Cobalt,  Ontario:  Mr.  President,  ladies 
and  gentlemen:  I  have  looked  over  the  program,  and  if  I  mistake  not 
I  am  the  only  Canadian  taking  part  in  your  congress.  I  might  say  that 
for  this  reason  and  for  others  I  consider  that  I  am  doubly  and  trebly 
honored  in  coming  here  from  a  sister  nation  to  take  part  in  a  congress 
made  up  of  men  that  I  am  sure  represent  the  best  material  that  your 
nation  can  produce. 

Before  going  further  I  wis'h  to  thank  the  officers  of  your  congress 
for  the  invitation  to  take  part  in  its  deliberations.  When  I  first  received 
the  invitation  I  had  hoped  that  I  would  be  able  to  select  some  expert 
mining  man  or  men  from  our  Canadian  Institute,  of  which  I  am,  a  mem- 
ber. I  am  a  layman,  however,  though  I  have  had  some  practical  exper- 
ience in  mining,  particularly  in  the  Cobalt  district.  Now,  I  am,  as  I  say, 
very  pleased  indeed  to  be  with  you,  and  to  give  you  some  idea  of  what 
we  are  doing  in  the  north. 

As  you  understand,  Cobalt  is  situated  about  720  miles  north  of  where 
you  are  sitting.  I  did  expect  on  coming  south  here  to  find  warm  weather, 
but  I  find  that  the  weather  here  is  colder  than  at  Cobalt  when  I  left. 
I  had  some  difficulty  in  getting  here  this  morning.  When  we  were  within 
about  two  miles  of  our  destination  our  engine  ran  off  the  track,  or  at 
least  jumped  the  rails,  and  that  delayed  us  for  a  little  while.  However, 
we  got  in;  but  I  do  not  know  whether  the  majority  of  your  citizens  have 
the  idea  that  you  have  only  one  building  in  this  city,  but  they  seemed 
determined  that  we  should  go  to  the  Carnegie  institute  and  we  went  there, 
and  we  found  that  we  had  to  come  back,  and  then  when  we  got  to  the 
last  corner  they  were  still  bound  that  we  should  go  back  iu  the  other 
building.  (Laughter.)  However,  we  got  here. 

I  will  not  take  up  much  of  your  time,  but  I  will  proceed  to  give  you 
some  iclea  of  what  we  are  doing  at  Cobalt.  In  the  year  1903  the  dis- 
covery of  silver  was  made  in  what  is  now  practically  the  townsite  of 
Cobalt.  IK  1904  the  shipments  from  the  Cobalt  camp  mines  working  at 
that  time  were  191.55  tons.  In  1905  they  were  2,336;  and  in  1906  they 
were  5.836.59  tons;  and  in  1907,  to  the  end  of  the  year,  14,851.34.  For  the 
first  nine  months  of  this  year  there  have  been  produced  of  silver,  12,- 


22  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

223,834  ounces.  To  the  end  of  1907  our  returns  for  the  silver  from  that 
district  were  $11,C85,695.  Now,  I  might  say  that  for  the  last  year  the  silver 
production  of  Cobalt  was  about  one-fifth  of  the  total  production  of  the 
world.  The  total  production  of  the  world  was  approximately  185,035,000 
ounces.  You  people  of  course  are  perhaps  more  familiar  with  your  own 
statistics  in  regard  to  your  output,  but  we  have  it  at  about  56,825,000 
ounces,  and  the  output  of  Cobalt  in  practically  its  fourth  year  is  about 
9,000,000  ounces.  The  mining  done  in  that  district  so  far  has  been  to  a 
large  extent  very  crude.  A  great  many  of  the  mines  now,  however,  are 
getting  down  to  what  might  be  called  practical  mining.  I  might  tell  you, 
however,  that  about  the  deepest  shaft  that  we  have  is  four  hundred  and 
ten  feet.  We  have  several  formations  there,  and  the  mining  engineers 
have  their  own  ideas  of  what  we  are  going  to  find  in  depth.  We  have  to 
go  along  for  some  time  yet,  as  it  were,  in  the  dark,  before  we  will  have 
very  much  knowledge  about  it. 

But  I  may  say  this,  that  up  until  ten  years  ago  in  Canada  agriculture 
was  the  chief  industry  of  the  nation.  We  have  now  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  mining  is  going  to  be  one  of  the  foremost  industries  of  the 
country,  and  perhaps  like  yourselves  we  will  have  to  come  to  realize  that. 
Such  bodies  as  this  mining  congress  and  our  Canadian  Mining  Institute 
will  conclude  that  the  sooner  we  get  down  to  a  commercial,  systematic 
way  of  mining  the  better  it  will  be  for  all  concerned. 

I  will  not  take  your  time  further,  but  I  assure  you  that  I  feel  highly 
honored  to  be  here  to,  take  part  with  you  in  this  great  mining  congress. 
I  thank  you  very  much  for  this  privilege.  (Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  We  are  going  to  reserve  for  you,  as  we 
think,  a  treat  immediately  after  the  noon  hour,  in  the  shape  of  an  ad- 
dress by  one  of  the  great  men  of  the  state  of  Ohio,  who  represents  that 
state  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  is  chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Mines  and  Mining,  and  has  in  charge  the  bill  for  the  creation  of  the 
bureau  of  mines.  I  know  that  everyone  here  would  like  to  hear  that 
gentleman  after  lunch.  At  the  present  time'  the  secretary  has  some 
notices  which  he  desires  to  give  before  adjournment. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  Under  th'e  by-laws  the  president 
must  announce  the  committee  on  credentials  at  the  opening  session.  The 
committee  as  appointed  consists  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Wardrop  of  Pennsylvania, 
Mr.  E.  J.  Walters  of  Boise,  Idaho,  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Malcolmson  of  Kansas 
City. 

The  committee  on  resolutions,  which  is  the  most  important  committee 
in  the  body,  is  selected  by  the  delegations  from  each  of  the  several  states. 
The  names  are  to  be  announced  before  the  convention  at  the  opening  of 
the  alternoon  session.  It  is  therefore  requested  that  every  delegation  will 
convene  during  the  noon  hour  and  select  its  member  of  the  committee 
on  resolutions. 

Thereupon  a  recess  was  taken  until  two  o'clock  p.  m. 

WEDNESDAY,  DECEMBER  2,   1908. 
Afternoon   Session. 

The  Congress  was  called  to  order  by  the  president. 
The    membership    of   the   committee    on    resolutions    was    thereupon 
announced  as  follows: 

Committee  on   Resolutions. 

Alabama    Edward   H.   Cox 

Alaska J.  L.  Steele 

Arizona W.    L.    Clark 

Arkansas A.   W.   Estes 

California 7.   Ross   Clark 

Colorado..  .  .W.  F.  R.   Mills 


AMERICAN   MINING   CONGRESS  23 

Delaware , Dr.  C.  L.  Reese 

District  of  Columbia George  P.  Mernll 

Florida F.  C.  Clapp 

Georgia Meldrum  Thompson 

Idaho A.  A.  Meggett 

Illinois H.  Foster  Bain 

Indiana John  McFadyen 

Iowa Dr.  Samuel  Calvin 

Kansas Dr.  Erasmus  Haworth 

Kentucky C.  J.  Norwood 

Massachusetts Donald  D.  Mitchell 

Maryland C.  H.  Smith 

Michigan F.  M,.  Stanton 

Missouri Dr.  E.  R.  Buckley 

Montana C.  H.  Bowman 

New  Jersey Henry  B.  Kummel 

New  York. W.  R.  Ingalls 

North  Carolina Frank  R.  Hewitt 

Pennsylvania George  Wihyel 

Nevada Jos.  H.  Hutchinson 

Ohio J.  B.  Zerbe 

Ontario H.  H.  Lang 

Oklahoma Dr.  C.  N.  Gould 

O'regon B.  A.  Sessions 

South  Dakota Howard  Worth 

Texas H.  F.  Happer 

Utah J.  Will  Knight 

Virginia B.  A.  Schubert 

Washington G.  Smith 

West  Virginia John  B.  Ross 

Wisconsin E.  C.  Holden 

Wyoming ;Wm.  Benton 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  The  committee  on  resolutions  will 
meet  in  a  room  in  the  basement  of  this  hall,  which  will  be  ample  for  that 
purpose.  It  is  understood  that  the  committee  on  resolutions  elect  its  own 
officers.-  I  would  suggest  that  the  first  meeting  of  the  committee  be  held 
directly  following  this  session. 

I  desire  also  to  announce  that  the  photographer  is  very  anxious  to 
make  a  picture  of  this  assemblage,  and  he  has  requested  you  to  assemble 
in  front  of  the  building  for  that  purpose  at  the  close  of  this  meeting. 

There  will  be  a  meeting  of  the  National  Association  of  State  Mining 
Schools  tomorrow  morning  at  nine  o'clock  in  Parlor  L  of  Hotel  Henry. 
All  representatives  of  mining  schools  who  are  here  are  requested  to  be 
in  attendance. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:      We  will  now  proceed  with  the  program. 

We  had  with  us  this  morning,  and  I  hope  he  is  here  now,  Hon.  A. 
B.  Fleming,  of  Fairmont,  West  Virginia.  He  is  ex-Lieutenant  Governor 
of  "West  Virginia,  and  I  understand  has  an  ownership  in  a  mine  that  has 
passed  through  a  disaster  similar  to  the  one  which  has  recently  taken 
place  in  your  midst,  and  I  know  you  will  all  be  glad  to  hear  from  him 
if  he  is  present  at  this  time. 

HON.  A.  B.  FLEMING,  O'F  WEST  VIRGINIA:  With  your  permission, 
I  will  keep  my  place  here. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  know  they  would  all  like  to  look  into 
your  pleasant  face. 

MR.  FLEMING:  Thank  you,  but  you  embarrass  me.  The  reason  I 
so  much  dislike  to  come  forward  is  that  it  looks  as  if  I  were  expected  to 
say  something. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  If  you  were  a  lawyer  we  would  expect 
modesty,  but  not  being  a  lawyer,  we  do  not  expect  it.  (Laughter.) 


24  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

MiR.  FLEMING:  I  did  not  know  I  would  be  called  upon  until  I  saw 
my  name  on  the  iprogram  after  I  entered  this  hall.  Nevertheless,  not 
presuming  to  make  an  address  or  speech,  as  I  am  down  representing 
the  great  state  of  West  Virginia,  I  must  say  something  with  reference 
to  her  progress  andi  her  mineral  resources.  West  Virginia  is  one  of  the 
newest  and  youngest  of  the  states,  born  amid  the  throes  of  civil  war  in 
great  distress,  and  was  looked  upon  with  a  great  deal  of  prejudice  for  a 
great  many  years.  She  did  not  for  twenty-five  years  have  credit  for  what 
she  had,  either  in  mineral  resources  or  people,  within  her  borders.  For 
a  long  time  it  was  not  known  how  much  coal  we  had.  It  was  certainly 
not  known  how  much  oil  and  gas  we  possessed,  and  it  took  a  long  while 
to  convince  the  people  of  this  country  that  the  coal  of  West  Virginia 
would  burn.  (Laughter.)  We  had  a  great  fight  to  introduce  the  coal 
to  the  consumers  in  this  country.  Our  more  favoredi  competitors — well, 
we  were  scarcely  competitors  those  days,  way  back  twenty-five  years 
ago — in  Pennsylvania  with  the  same  vein  of  coal  that  we  have,  up  at 
the  head  of  the  Monongahela  river,  this  beautiful  stream  which  empties 
into  the  Ohio  just  here,  thought  that  they  had  all  that  was  good,  at  least 
that  we  did  not  have  it;  they  certainly  felt  that  our  coal  was  not  equal 
to  theirs,  and  disparaged  us.  Their  coal  this  side  of  the  state  line  sold 
for  some  ten  times  as  much  by  the  acre  as  the  coal  on  our  side  of  the 
line.  This  condition  existed  until  within  twenty  or  twenty-five  years 
ago.  I  do  not  blame  our  neighbors;  I  am  only  speaking  of  this  condi- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  showing  what  a  hard  time  we  had  in  introducing 
our  coal.  At  that  time  we  had  only  one  trunk  line  railroad,  and  there 
was  so  little  coal  to  ship  on  that  railroad  that  they  did  not  like  to  stop 
their  trains  to  pull  out  the  coal  cars.  They  preferred  to  look  for  through 
freight.  West  Virginia  until  recent  years  has  had  to  rely  upon  the 
pluck  and  energy  of  her  own  people  to  get  out  what  they  had  and  to 
prove  to  the  world  the  value  of  what  they  had. 

I  am  told  that  it  is  an  actual  fact  that  when  the  oil  operators  traced 
the  oil  belt  down  from  New  York  into  Pennsylvania  and  over  here  to 
Mt.  Morris  on  the  line  between  Virginia  and  West  Virginia,  that  they 
drilled  all  along  on  the  Pennsylvania  side,  and  he  was  a  dare-devil  who 
first  drilled  on  the  West  Virginia  side.  (Laughter.)  Our  oil  (production 
increased  from  119,000  barrels  in  1888  until  last  year  we  produced  a 
little  over  ten  million  barrels,  worth  $15,000,000.  Until  recently  we  had 
but  little  or  no  gas  in  West  Virginia — natural  gas.  (Laughter.)  In  1888 
the  gas  produced  in  our  state  is  reported  to  have  been  worth  $120,000; 
in  1898,  $1,304,000.  That  is  a  tolerably  rapid  increase.  Last  year  we 
produced  121,200,000,000  feet  of  gas,  worth  $15,000,000;  and  another  thing 
I  desire  to  say  to  the  credit  of  West  Virginia  is,  that  nearly  one-half  of 
all  this  gas  is  used  within  the  limits  of  West  Virginia,  at  a  cost  to  the 
consumer  of  $4,000,000,  while  the  remaining  half — a  little  more  than  half 
— is  piped  out  of  the  state  to  the  great  cities  of  this  country  on  the 
lakes  and  east  of  us.  Many  of  Pennsylvania's  largest  factories,  including 
the  Carnegie  works,  are  fed  from  the  gas  fields  of  West  Virginia.  The 
gas  piped  to  points  without  the  state  sold  last  year  for  $10,000,000.  Of 
course  that  included  the  cost  of  transportation.  The  abundance  of  cheap 
gas  shows  West  Virginia  to  be  a  most  favored  place  for  manufacturing. 

As  to  coal,  we  were  second  in  the  production  of  coal  two  years  ago. 
Last  year  we  lost  our  standing  by  one,  Illinois  having  passed  us,  and  we 
were  third.  I  do  not  know  what  the  figures  are  for  this  year.  We  are 
second,  and!  have  been  for  a  number  of  years,  in  the  production  of  coke. 
The  coal  mined  in  1883  amounted  to  10,000,000  tons.  We  now  have  single 
corporations  in  our  state  which  mine  something  near  that  quantity.  In 
1907  we  mined  48,000,000  tons  of  coal,  and  have  scarcely  touched  our 
coal  fields. 

We  have,  geologically  speaking,  sixteen  thousand  square  miles  of 
coal  in  West  Virginia.  I  do  not  think  I  am  mistaken  in  saying  that 
this  is  the  largest  area  of  coal  in  any  state  of  the  union.  We  have  in 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  25 

addition  to  that  one  vein  upon  another;  in  many  parts  of  the  state,  three 
workable  veins,  running  from  three  feet  to  fourteen  feet  in  thickness. 
Our  coal  supply  would  seem  to  be  almost  inexhaustible. 

"West  Virginia,"  I  take  this  from  the  advance  sheet  of  the  geological 
survey,  and  I  give  you  my  authority  for  fear  you  would  not  believe  me, 
and  if  I  did  not  have  some  authority  for  it  I  would  not  believe  it  my- 
self— "West  Virginia's  mineral  product  sold  last  year  for  $92,000,000." 
We  have  but  a  small  state,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  we  are  doing  very 
well  when  we  produce  $92,000,000  per  year  in  mineral  resources. 

This  being  the  case,  gentlemen,  West  Virginia  is  largely  interested 
in  the  work  of  this  Congress.  No  state  in  the  union  perhaps  is  more 
interested. 

W'e'have  had  our  share  of  accidents,  perhaps  more  than  our  share, 
and  yet  I  believe  we  have  as  careful  and  as  good  a  set  of  operators  and 
employees  as  there  are  anywhere.  It  has  been  said  that  our  mining  laws 
are  lax,  but  I  deny  it.  They  need  improvement,  I  admit,  but  they  are 
up-to-date  and  as  good,  I  believe,  as  they  have  in  any  state  in  the  union. 
Nevertheless,  we  have  had  these  accidents.  Our  president  re- 
ferred to  the  fact  that  I  have  been  interested  in  mines  that  have 
suffered  from  an  accident,  the  worst  perhaps  that  this  country 
has  ever  seen.  I  will  say  that  the  Monongah  mines,  about  which 
you  have  read,  because  of  that  accident,  were  the  best  of  forty  that 
the  Fairmont  Coal  Company  had.  If  the  explosion  had  occurred  in  any 
other  of  their  mines  there  would  not  have  been  so  much  surprise  because 
these  two  mines,  Monongah  6  and  8,  were  the  newest,  were  laid  out, 
planned,  ventilated  and  operated  without  any  reference  to  cost  so  far  as 
safety  was  concerned,  yet  we  had  that  awful  explosion,  in  which  361 
people  lost  their  lives,  and  today  we  do  not  know  what  caused  it.  It 
was  an  explosion.  What  atmospheric  condition,  what  natural  or  unnat- 
ural condition  existed  there  that  caused  an  explosion  in  what  we  supposed 
to  be  a  mine  as  safe  as  it  could  be  made  with  money  and  with  care,  we 
do  not  know.  We  used  to  think  that  ventilation  was  the  great  thing. 
If  there  was  any  fault  in  that  respect  in  those  mines  it  was  because  the 
ventilation  was  too  great;  for  I  really  believe  that  there  is  such  a  thing 
as  too  much  ventilation  in  a  mine.  We  have  been  studying,  and  we 
have  had  one  of  the  most  eminent  geologists  in  the  country  employed 
to  determine  how  to  make  these  mines  safer.  I  do  not  know  but  what  I 
am  going  too  much  into  detail,  but  your  president  suggested  that  1 
should  say  something  about  that  explosion. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     You  have  the  floor. 

MR.  FLEMING:  It  is  very  difficult  to  wet  a  mine  with  water.  Water 
and  dust  won't  mix,  as  you  know,  any  more  than  oil  and  water.  We 
are  now  making  the  experiment  of  putting  steam  jets  into  the  intake 
of  the  air.  This  dampens  the  atmosphere  of  the  mine,  which  we  think 
will  make  our  mines  safer. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  know  that  every  gentleman  here  is  in- 
terested in  that  far-off  mineral  region  known  as  Alaska.  Alaska  has  a 
delegate  here,  and  I  am  sure  you  would  like  to  hear  a  response  from 
Mr.  J.  L.  Steele  on  behalf  of  Alaska. 

MR.  J.  L.  STEELE,  OF  ALASKA:  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  am  very 
glad)  to  meet  again  with  the  American  Mining  Congress,  and  I  have  just 
a  few  words  to  say  on  behalf  of  Alaska.  Very  few  people  know  the  min- 
eral resources  of  that  great  land,  and  very  few  people  know  the  size  of 
that  great  domain. 

Come  with  me  a  few  moments,  if  you  will,  and  let  me  describe  to  you 
briefly  the  size  of  that  country.  Following  its  sea  coast  from  end  to 
end,  following  each  line,  it  will  be  found  that  there  is  more  than  26,000 
miles,  or  more  than  would  reach  around  the  world  with  a  lap  of  nearly 
a  thousand  miles.  It  comprises  650,000  square  miles,  more  than  two  times 
the  size  of  the  state  of  Texas,  and  nearly  as  large  as  the  portion  of  the 


26  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

United  States  lying  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  Place  a  map  of  Alaska 
over  a  map  of  the  united  states,  drawn  on  the  same  scale,  and  its  most 
northerly  point  will  be  about  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  its  southerly  point 
near  New  Orleans,  while  its  eastern  boundary  would  be  at  Savannah, 
Georgia,  and  the  most  westerly  point  will  be  west  of  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia. In  this  vast  country,  of  which  so  little  is  known,  there  lie  the 
great  mineral  storehouses  of  the  world. 

Take,  for  instance,  one  district,  if  you  will.  Place  your  dividers 
upon  the  summit  of  Mount  Wrangel.  Stretch 'them  out  until  they  cover 
according  to  the  scale,  a  distance  of  forty-five  miles;  strike  a  circle 
from  that  central  point  and  you  have  within  the  boundaries  of  that 
circle  the  greatest,  the  largest,  the  most  wealthy  copper  district  in  the 
known  world.  One  single  company  is  spending  more  than  .$6,000,000 
for  the  purpose  of  building  a  road  into  that  copper  country,  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  out  their  own  ore,  and  probably  very  little  other. 

Alaska  stands  not  only  high  in  the  production  of  copper,  but  in  its 
copper  resources.  This  territory  which  I  have  mentioned  is  only  one 
portion ;  there  are  many  other_  places  that  (produce  a  great  deal,  or  will 
in  the  future.  But  unless  I  am  mistaken  it  stands  second  in  the  gold  pro- 
duction of  the  United  States.  I  believe  Colorado  is  first,  Alaska  second 
and  California  third. 

While  we  are  small  in  population  we  are  looking  forward  to  a  time 
when  we  will  have  legislation  whereby  we  can  have  some  word  to  say 
in  regard  to  the  laws  that  we  are  endeavoring  to  live  under.  We  are 
looking  forward  to  a  time  when  these  things  will  be  made  facts,  as  well 
as  a  thought  of  the  dim  future.  We  also  look  to  the  American  Mining 
Congress  to  assist  us  in  bringing  about  such  legislation,  and  I  want  to 
say  right  here  before  I  forget  it  that,  on  behalf  of  Alaska,  I  want  to  thank 
now  the  American  Mining  Congress  for  the  interest  which  it  has  taken 
in  the  past,  and  I  want  to  say  again  that  among  the  dearest  words  that 
I  ever  heard  spoken  were  spoken  by  Mr.  George  Roberts,  at  that  time 
director  of  the  mint  in  Portland,  Oregon,  when  he  said,  "I  have  just 
returned  from  Alaska.  I  know  an  orphan  when  I  see  one,  and  I  hope 
the  American  Mining  Congress  will  be  a  foster  mother  of  that  orphan," 
and  let  me  say  I  want  to  thank  the  American  Mining  Congress  because 
she  was,  and  assisted  us  largely,  more  largely  than  any  other  source, 
in  gcttirg  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  to  allow  Alaska  a  delegate 
to  her  halls  of  Congress. 

While  we  are  large  gold  producers  from  the  placer  mines,  we  also 
have  the  greatest  quartz  mines  and  the  greatest  quartz  mills  in  the  world. 
We  have  the  most  economical  quartz  mine,  I  believe,  working  the  lowest 
grade  ore  of  any  place  in  the  world,  and  at  a  profit,  the  Trimble  mine, 
employing  from  four  to  eight  thousand  men,  according  to  the  season  of 
the  year.  They  have  one  thousand,  two  hundred  and  sixty  stamps  drop- 
ping twenty-four  hours  each  day  nearly  every  day  in  the  year,  I  think 
the  largest  stamp  mill  in  the  world. 

Up  and  down  the  coast,  when  it  comes  to  scenery,  there  are  places 
people  should  visit,  instead  of  going  across  the  water  to  Switzerland; 
they  should  see  their  own  country.  You  may  go  for  more  than  a  thousand 
miles  through  the  mountains  rising  sheer  very  often  five  thousand  to 
seven  thousand  feet.  We  invite  you  to  come  to  Alaska.  I  thank  you. 
PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  am  sure  we  will  all  like  to  hear  Mr. 
Joseph  H.  Hutchinson,  of  Nevada. 

MR.  JOSEPH  H.  HUTCHINSON,  OF  NEVADA:  Mr.  President  and 
Members  of  the  Mining  Congress.  I  am  reminded  by  the  speakers  who 
have  preceded  me  of  an  incident  which  occurred  some  time  ago.  I  was 
a  delegate  at  one  time  to  a  convention  in  Salt  Lak  City,  Utah.  They 
appointed  guides  to  show  us  that  most  beautiful  city,  and  my  companion 
upon  a  sight-seeing  tour  was  Patrick  Henry  Winston,  attorney  general 
of  the  state  of  Washington.  We  wound  up  in  front  of  that  magnificent 


AMERICAN   MINING   CONGRESS  2? 

temple,  and  the  guide  after  explaining  the  early  history  of  the  pioneers 
of  Salt  Lake,  pointed  up  at  the  figure  on  top  of  the  temple  and  said: 
"That  is  the  figure  of  our  angel  Maroni.  You  will  notice  that  he  has 
in  his  hand  a  horn;  and  immediately  in  front  of  the  temple  is  the  grave 
of  Brigham  Young.  We  believe  in  the  final  day  that  our  angel  Maroni 
will  blow  his  horn  and  one  of  the  reasons  why  Brigham  Young's  grave 
has  been  placed  so  near  the  temple  is  that  he  will  be  the  first  to  hear 
the  horn."  Mr.  Winston  said:  "Why,  that  does  not  differ  so  much  from 
my  belief  that  the  angel  Gabriel  will  blow  his  horn;  and  as  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  I  do  not  care  who  blows  his  horn,  as  long  as  somebody 
blows  it."  (Laughter.)  And  I  think  perhaps  that  I  follow  in  the  foot- 
steps of  my  predecessors  and  proceed  to  blow  my  horn. 

WThile  we  do  not  want  to  say  anything  about  the  "baby  state," 
Nevada  was  not  always  a  baby  state.  There  was  a  time  when  the  greatest 
president  of  this  Republic  needed  to  have  the  precious  metals  so  that 
the  spread  of  human  freedom  would  make  it  possible  for  us  to  have  a 
united  nation;  and  Nevada's  silver  made  it  possible  when  Lincoln 
brought  it  into  the  union  to  save  the  union.  (Applause.) 

And  so  I  propose  in  my  own  humble  way  before  this  convention 
closes  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  man  who  was  spoken  of  by 
the  congressman  this  morning  as  the  pioneer  of  adventurers  has  finally 
wound  up  in  Death  Valley  in  the  vicinity  of  Goldfield,  whence  I  came, 
and  that  without  this  money  of  ultimate  redemption  in  gold  that  your 
gas  and  your  oil  and  all  would  amount  to  naught,  and  we  propose  to 
show  you  that  Nevada  produces  the  gold  and  the  lead  from  its  quartz 
mines  (not  from  its  placers),  and  that  the  future  of  this  country  turns 
on  Nevada,  and  we  want  you  to  know  that  while  we  have  been  a  Cin- 
derella we  are  going  to  ask  you  to  give  us  the  golden  slipper  from  the 
American  Mining  Congress.  (Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  We  have  with  us  Dr.  A.  H.  Purdue,  the 
State  Geologist,  Fayetteville,  Arkansas,  whom  I  know  you  would  like 
to  hear  from  in  response  for  that  state. 

DOCTOR  PURDUE:  It  was  only  at  a  very  late  hour  that  I  learned 
that  I  was  on  this  program  at  all,  and  being  one  of  those  peculiar  persons 
who  for  twenty  years  or  more  has  endeavored  to  work  himself  up  to 
a  scientific  attitude  of  mind  cannot  paint  the  mineral  resources  of  Ar- 
kansas, as  they  deserve  to  be  painted,  but  in  a  very  few  words  will 
endeavor  to  give  you  a  little  idea  of  what  we  have  down  in  that  state. 
There  are  very  few  states  in  the  union  that  have  a  greater  variety  of 
mineral  resources  than  the  State  of  Arkansas,  and  there  are  very  few 
states  in  the  union  in  which  the  mineral  resources  are  so  poorly  developed 
as  they  are  in  that  state. 

We  have  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state  a  large  area  that  produces, 
or  some  time  will  produce,  lead  and  zinc,  and  especially  zinc.  The  de- 
velopment of  the  zinc  of  Arkansas  has  only  just  begun.  What  the  future 
will  have  to  say  for  it  we  can  only  tell  after  the  development  comes. 
But  it  is  certain  that  Arkansas,  in  the  course  of  time,  and  I  hope  in  the 
near  future,  will  be  one  of  the  leadirg  zinc-producing  states  of  the  United 
States.  We  have  in  this  same  area  of  northern  Arkansas  hundreds  of 
square  miles  of  as  fine  marble  as  there  is  anywhere  in  the  country.  And 
we  have  unbounded  amounts  of  as  fine  glass  sand  as  can  be  produced 
anywhere  in  the  world.  Then  we  have  in  the  Arkansas  valley  a  consid- 
erable area  of  coal,  not  so  big  as  the  West  Virginia  area,  still  it  is  con- 
siderable, and  it  is  of  a  fine  quality.  We  have  also  in  the  Arkansas 
valley  the  beginning  of  the  production  of  natural  gas — only  the  beginning. 
We  used  in  the  city  of  Port  Smith  last  year  about  3,000,000,000  cubic 
feet  of  gas.  We  could  produce  a  great  deal  more  if  we  had  any  imme- 
diate demand  for  it.  The  vicinity  immediately  around  Little  Rock  prom- 
ises to  be  a  gas-producing  locality  within  the  near  future,  as  there  are 
several  individuals  there  from  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  seeking  the 
gas.  Of  course,  inasmuch  as  they  are  from  Pennsylvania  we  have  all 


28  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

reason  to  believe  that  they  are  going  to  find  gas.     All  of  the  Arkansas 
valley  in  all  probability  will  be  a  gas-producer  before  very  many  years. 

We  have  large  amounts  of  bauxite  or  "boxite,"  as  it  is  called  in  the 
trade,  that  are  only  beginning  to  be  worked.  We  have  very  fine  de- 
posits for  the  manufacture  of  Portland  cement.  Probably  no  state  in  the 
union  surpasses  Arkansas  in  its  clays.  It  is  said  by  one  of  the  leading 
authorities  of  the  United  States  in  clays,  a  man  who  has  given  this 
subject  special  attention,  that  Arkansas  should  be  the  leading  clay-pro- 
ducing state  of  the  United  States.  This,  for  three  reasons.  First,  we 
have  all  varieties  of  clays  from  the  coarsest  to  the  finest.  Second,  we 
have  the  fuel  at  hand  with  which  to  manufacture  these  clays,  and,  third, 
the  climatic  conditions  of  Arkansas  are  such  as  to  be  greatly  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  manufacture  of  clay  products.  They  should  be  manu- 
factured there  much  cheaper  than  they  are  manufactured  in  St.  Louis, 
because  of  the  favorable  climatic  conditions  which  prevail  in  Arkansas 
throughout  the  year. 

These,  gentlemen,  are  just  a  few  of  the  facts  relating  to  the  mineral 
resources  of  Arkansas,  and  I  will  not  consume  your  time  further  than 
to  tell  you  that  after  you  have  looked  about  over  the  country  elsewhere 
for  places  to  invest  your  money  and  are  discouraged,  come  down  to 
Arkansas.  (Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  secretary  calls  my  attention  to  the 
reports  of  the  committees  for  this  afternoon.  The  custom  has  been  for 
resolutions  to  be  introduced,  read  by  the  secretary,  and  without  debate 
referred  to  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  for  its  action. 

We  have  the  following  standing  committees  to  report:  Report  of 
Committee  on  Alaskan  Mining  Laws,  Honorable  James  J.  Godfrey,  Seattle, 
Washington. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  The  Seattle  delegation  has  not  yet 
arrived. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Report  of  Committee  on  Vertical  Side 
Line  Law,  Dr.  John  A.  Church,  New  York  City. 

THE  SECRETARY:  I  would  say  that  the  death  of  Dr.  J.  D.  Hague,  of 
New  York  City,  during  the  last  summer  made  vacant  the  chairmanship 
of  this  committee.  Dr.  John  A.  Church  was  very  recently  made  the 
chairman  of  that  committee,  so  recently  that  no  report  can  be  expected 
at  this  time. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARD'S:  Report  of  Committee  on  Prevention  of 
Mine  Accidents,  Dr.  H.  Foster  Bain,  Urbana,  Illinois. 

DOCTOR  BAIN:  The  secretary  of  the  committee  will  make  the 
report. 

The  report  is  as  follows: 

Report  of  the   Committee  on    Prevention   of  Mine   Accidents. 

Soon  after  adjournment  of  the  last  session  of  the  American  Mining 
Congress  a  series  of  unusually  disastrous  explosions  in  the  coal  mines  of 
West  Virginia,  Alabama  and  Pennsylvania  called  the  attention  of  the 
general  public  as  well  as  of  the  mining  fraternity  to  the  subject  of  acci- 
dents as  it  has  never  been  called  before.  Consequently,  much  attention 
has  been  given  to  the  subject  during  the  past  year  both  in  the  public 
and  in  the  technical  press  and  a  large  amount  of  experimental  work  has 
been  carried  on  by  individuals  and  by  corporations  since  the  close  of  the 
last  session  of  Congress.  These  accidents  probably  also  hastened  the 
establishment  of  a  Government  Testing  Station,  and  assisted  in  the  secur- 
ing of  an  appropriation  for  the  investigation  of  mine  accidents  in  the 
United  States  by  the  Technologic  Branch  of  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey. 

As  a  result  of  the  widespread  publicity  given  to  the  subject  of  acci- 
dents through  the  public  and  the  technical  press,  and  through  various 
mining  organizations,  together  with  the  organization  of  a  testing  station 
and  the  development  of  a  distinct  organization  to  investigate  accidents 
by  the  Technologic  Branch  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  .it 


AMERICAN  MINING   CONGRESS  29 

was  unnecessary  for  your  committee  to  attempt  to  carry  on  work  along 
the  lines  for  which  it  was  originally  appointed  as  the  work  would  have 
paralleled  that  already  being  done  by  others. 

As  it  is  entirely  prooable  that  this  work  both  public  and  private  will 
continue,  we  recommend  the  discharge  of  the  committee,  and  in  so  doing 
would  make  the  following  comments: 

We  believe  that  the  prevention  of  accidents  depends  upon  (1)  a  reali- 
zation of  the  relative  importance  of  the  various  known  causes  to  which 
accidents  can  be  attributed,  so  that  suitable  preventive  measures  can  be 
adopted  to  minimize  as  far  as  possible  the  accidents  due  to  these  known 
causes.  Under  normal  conditions  in  coal  mining  from  50  to  60  per  cent, 
of  the  accidents  are  due  to  falls  of  rock  and  coal,  about  16  per  cent,  to 
explosions  of  gas  and  dust  and  an  almost  equal  number  or  about  14  per 
cent,  to  mine  cars.  Owing  to  the  large  number  killed  at  one  time  by  ex- 
plosions, this  cause  of  accident  has  attracted  more  than  its  due  share  of 
attention,  and  while  not  wishing  to  minimize  in  any  way  the  importance 
of  the  attempts  made  to  lessen  the  dangers  due  to  gas  and  dust,  we  most 
earnestly  urge  that  more  attention  be  given  to  the  great  cause  of  mine 
fatalities  which  is  every  where  present,  namely,  falls  of  slate,  coal  and 
rock.  (2)  The  scientific  investigation  of  the  problems  connected  with 
mining  both  theoretical  and  practical  and  which  are  now  only  partially 
understood  should  continue.  The  most  important  of  these  are  probably 
the  choice,  handling,  and  use  of  explosives;  problems  connected  with  ex- 
plosive gases  and  dust  in  coal  mines;  better  supervision  and  more  care- 
ful timbering  to  prevent  the  great  loss  of  life  and  the  accidents'  due  to 
falls  of  rock  and  coal. 

The  training  of  vast  numbers  of  emigrants  from  southeastern  Europe 
who  are  so  rapidly  replacing  the  former  mining  population  and  who  come 
to  us  with  no  knowledge  of  mining  is  one  of  the  serious  problems  affect- 
ing the  accident  condition  in  this  country. 

Attention  is  called  to  the  efforts  that  have  been  made  in  the  anthra- 
cite field  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  mine  workers  through  courses 
of  lectures  upon  mining  subjects  by  means  of  night  schools  carried  on 
under  the  auspices  of  the  anthracite  mining  companies. 

The  conditions  under  which  American  mines  are  operated  must  be 
kept  distinctly  in  mind  and  the  vast  differences  between  European  and 
American  conditions  must  be  remembered  in  comparing  the  statistics  of 
accidents  abroad  and  in  American  mines. 

We  believe  that  the  mine  laws  now  on  the  statute  books  if  enforced 
and  respected  by  employer  and  employe  alike  are  sufficient  in  many  cases 
to  greatly  reduce  the  number  of  accidents.  There  are,  no  doubt,  instances 
where  the  laws  can  be  modified  to  advantage  to  conform  to  present 
knowledge  and  conditions,  but  these  modifications  should  be  made  by 
persons  familiar  with  the  conditions  under  which  American  mines  must 
be  operated,  and  who  also  understand  the  theory  and  practice  of  such 
new  forces  as  electricity,  compressed  air,  etc.,  that  now  play  so  important 
and  necessary  a  part  in  mining.  A  greater  uniformity  in  the  mine  laws 
of  the  different  states  where  the  conditions  are  similar  would  be  ad- 
vantageous. 

We  believe  that  experience  in  one  state  should  be  allowed  full  credit 
in  another  for  a  person  applying  for  a  certificate  as  mine  foreman,  man- 
ager, etc.,  provided  he  can  satisfy  the  requirements  of  examination  as 
provided  for  in  the  state  in  which  the  application  is  made. 

We  would  also  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  several  persons  are  in- 
jured for  every  one  killed,  and  we  believe  that  a  very  useful  work  can  be 
carried  on  in  assisting  those  injured  about  the  mines  through  the  use  of 
intelligent  first  aid  measures.  The  various  devices  used  in  case  of 
rescue  work  after  an  accident  will  undoubtedly  be  tested  at  the  Govern- 
ment Testing  Station  as  has  been  done  abroad,  and  as  the  result  of  these 
tests  become  known  it  is  to  be  expected  that  more  adequate  means  for 
rescue  in  case  of  explosion,  fire,  etc.,  will  be  installed  at  many  of  the 


30  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

mines.  The  circumstances  requiring  such  apparatus  are,  however,  fortu- 
nately comparatively  rare,  while  every  day  men  are  being  injured  more 
or  less  severely  about  the  mines.  The  rendering  of  efficient  first  aid  to. 
such  men  while  awaiting  the  arrival  of  a  physician  may  mean  in  many 
cases  the  saving  of  life  or  the  prevention  of  permanent  deformity.  We 
would,  therefore,  especially  call  attention  to  the  very  thorough  first  aid 
organizations  which  have  been  developed  in  the  anthracite  mines  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  H.  V.  Hesse,  whose  name  appears  as  a  member  of  the  committee, 
found  it  impracticable  to  accept  his  appointment  as  a  member  of  the 
committee.  Respectfully  submitted, 

H.  FOSTER  BAIN,  Chairman. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Heretofore,  upon  the  making  of  reports 
of  these  committees,  if  anyone  wants  to  discuss  the  matter  it  is  always 
open  for  discussion  or  suggestion.  What  is  your  pleasure  as  to  the  re- 
port which  has  just  been  made? 

DOCTOR  BUCKLEY:  I  move  you  that  the  report  be  accepted,  and, 
as  requested,  the  committee  be  discharged. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  motion;  all  in  favor 
of  it— 

SENATOR  CHARLES  DICK,  of  Ohio:  I  would  move  to  amend  in 
that  the  report  be  printed  with  the  proceedings  of  the  convention. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Under  the  by-laws  of  the  organization 
that  necessarily  follows.  Are  you  ready  for  the  question? 

(The  question  was  called  for.) 

THE  PRESIDENT:     All  in  favor  of  that  motion— 

WILLIAM  P.  DANIELS  OF  COLORADO:  I  do  net  know  that  I  <im 
sufficiently  familiar  with  the  subject  that  has  been  given  consideration 
by  the  committee  to  express  an  opinion  in  contravention  of  their  recom- 
mendation, but  on  first  thought  I  am  inclined  to  doubt  as  to  whether  it 
will  be  wise  for  this  Congress  to  dispense  with  a  committee  of  that  kind. 
I  certainly  should  like  to  hear  a  little  further  from  some  of  the  gentlemen 
better  acquainted  with  the  subject  than  I  before  I  vote  to  discharge  the 
committee.  I  am  very  glad  to  vote  to  accept  the  report,  but,  as  I  say, 
Mr.  President,  lack  of  information  makes  me  inclined  to  think  this  Con- 
gress ought  to  continue  that  committee,  either  with  its  present  member- 
ship or  some  other. 

DOCTOR  BUCKLEY:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  think  I  might  state  for  the 
benefit  of  Mr.  Daniels  that  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  is  now 
carrying  on  those  investigations  with  much  greater  detail  and  with  much 
greater  efficiency  than  can  any  committee  appointed  by  this  Mining  Con- 
gress, and  that  as  soon  as  the  United  States  government  takes  up  any 
field  of  investigation  in  the  manner  in  which  they  have  taken  up  this 
subject,  this  Congress  may  very  well  let  loose  of  it  and  let  them  have  full 
charge  of  it. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  I  would  like  to  state  in  behalf  of  that 
committee  that  its  work  was  very  influential  in  securing  the  appropriation 
which  has  enabled  the  United  States  government  to  conduct  these  in- 
vestigations. 

MR.  DANIELS:  And  Mr.  President,  if  I  may  be -permitted  again,  it 
is  because  of  the  influence  that  that  committee  has  had  and  because 
there  is  such  action  on  the  part  of  the  government  that  I -believe  we 
ought  to  continue  the  committee  or  a  committee,  at  least,  with  that  mat- 
ter in  charge.  I  believe  it  is  quite  possible — quite  probable — that  there 
may  be  opportunities  for  a  committee  of  that  character  to  again  exercise 
a  very  great  deal  of  influence  on  these  very  experiments  by  the  govern- 
ment, and  certainly  this  American  Mining  Congress  can  have  no  better 
means  of  obtaining  information  than  through  a  committee  of  that  kind, 
who  will  give  it  particular  attention  and  report  to  us. 

MR.  HAWORTH,  OF  KANSAS:  I  certainly  agree  with  Mr.  Daniels. 
The  great  burden  of  the  talk  which  we  have  had  here  this  morning  is 


AMERICAN  MINING   CONGRESS  31 

that  one  of  the  main  functions  of  this  Mining  Congress  is  to  try  to  better 
the  conditions  regarding  mine  accidents.  Now,  right  on  the  face  of  that 
fact  and  the  talk  on  this  subject,  for  us  to  dismiss  the  only  committee 
we  have  in  that  connection  at  all,  it  seems  to  me  certainly  would  be  a 
mistake.  I  do  not  know  and  I  do  not  care  whether  it  was  in  the  minds 
of  the  members  of  this  Congress  at  the  time  the  committe  was  created  to 
have  them  do  experimental  work.  They  do  not  have  to  do  experimental 
work  during  the  coming  year,  or  during  the  coming  four  or  five  years,  but 
it  does  seem  to  me  that  one  of  the  great  fields  of  labor  that  we  might 
engage  in  is  to  have  a  standing  committee  on  this  subject  and  let  them 
do  whatever  conies  up  to  be  done,  and  for  my  part  I  think  it  would  be  a 
very  great  mistake  if  we  are  at  any  time  within  the  next  five  or  ten  years 
without  a  standing  committee  on  that  subject,  and  I  hope  that  we  may 
keep  a  committee  of  that  kind  during  all  the  future  time  that  we  exist 
as  a  Mining  Congress. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Any  further  discussion?  If  not  the  ques- 
tion is  to  accept  this  report  and  discharge  the  committee.  Are  you  ready 
for  the  question? 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  move  to  amend  the  motion  by  striking  out  that 
part  which  provides  for  the  discharge  of  the  committee. 

The  motion  was  seconded. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that  the 
motion  made  be  amended  by  striking  out  the  latter  part  of  the  original 
motion,  which  provides  the  discharge  of  that  committee.  Are  you  ready 
for  the  amendment?  The  motion  is  now  on  the  amendment. 

The  motion  was  put  and  prevailed. 

P'RESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  question  now  comes  on  the  original 
motion  as  amended. 

Such  motion  was  put  and  prevailed. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  TTie  next  is  the  report  of  the  Committee 
on  Protection  against  Maning  Frauds,  Mr.  C.  J.  Downey,  Denver,  Colorado. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH  read  the  report  of  the  committee,  which 
is  as  follows: 

To  the  Members  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  and  the  Delegates  of 
the  Eleventh  Annual  Session: 

At  the  ninth  annual  ses'sion  of  the  American  Mining  Congress,  held 
at  Denver,  Colorado,  provision  was  made  for  a  committee  of  five  to  con- 
sider means  of  preventing  the  fabrication  of  fraudulent  mining  schemes. 
At  that  session,  the  Congress  adopted  a  measure  very  similar  to  a  law 
on  the  statute  books  of  California  and  recommended  its  passage  by  the 
legislatures  of  the  several  states.  This  law  was  designed  to  punish  mis- 
representations in  letters  and  prospectuses  issued  for  the  purpose  of  aid- 
ing the  sale  of  corporation  shares,  and  it  was  adopted  the  following  winter 
by  various  states  in  the  East  and  West.  The  delegates  at  Denver,  how- 
ever, considered  that  the  effect  of  this  measure  was  limited  to  punishing 
misdeeds  after  they  were  committed,  and  that  it  was  within  the  province 
of  the  American  Mining  Congress  to  suggest  methods  of  a  preventative 
nature,  designed  not  only  to  deter  men  from  indulging  in  false  finance, 
but  to  aid  stockbuyers  in  protecting  themselves.  It  was  with  this  idea 
that  the  committee  of  five  was  provided  for.- 

That  committee  was  composed  of  Charles  J.  Downey,  of  Denver, 
chairman;  Henry  C.  Beeler,  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming;  R.  L.  Herrick,  of 
Scranton,  Pa.;  A.  W.  Mclntire,  of  Everett,  Wash.,  and  William  F.  Clark, 
of  Glover,  Vt.  It  reported  at  length  to  the  tenth  annual  session  of  the 
Congress-,  at  Joplin,  Missouri,  last  fall,  and  this  report  will  be  found  in 
full  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Joplin  session.  In  brief,  it  recommended 
the  adoption  of  a  law  by  the  several  legislatures,  more  especially  those 
of  the  West,  requiring  the  filing  of  extensive  information  of  a  vital  nature 
by  all  corporations  falling  under  the  description  of  those  sought  to  be 
reached.  It  was  designed  to  take  cognizance  of  the  prospect  character 
always  present,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  in  mining  property,  and  by 


32  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

reference  to  the  notion  of  prospect  value,  to  make  its  use  dependent  upori 
the  proper  certification  of  facts  to  the  secretary  of  state;  also  to  take 
cognizance  of  the  stock  prospectus  and  to  provide  what  measure  of  in^ 
formation  should  be  set  forth  therein. 

The  committee  also  recommended  the  universal  adoption  of  the  cumu- 
lative voting  privilege  for  minority  stockholders  and  suggested  other 
means  of  educating  the  investing  public  with  respect  to  the  best  means 
of  protecting  itself  against  unworthy  mining  stock  offerings. 

Lastly,  the  committee  recommended  that  a  standing  committee  of 
five  be  provided  for,  to  be  appointed  from  year  to  year  by  the  president, 
this  committee  to  contain  at  least  three  lawyers  and  to  be  known  as  the 
Committee  on  Corporation  Legislation. 

The  report  was  unanimously  adopted,  and  the  present  committee  was 
subsequently  named. 

As  the  important  recommendations  of  the  Joplin  session  concerned 
the  presentation  of  proposed  legislation  to  the  general  assemblies  of  the 
states,  and  as  none  of  these  has  met  since  the  recommendation  was  made, 
by  the  very  nature  of  the  situation  the  legislative  suggestion  of  the  former 
committee  stands  where  it  did,  it  being  the  expectation  that  the  matter 
will  be  brought  before  the  lawmakers  of  the  states  at  their  sessions  this 
winter. 

No  member  of  the  committee  has  proposed  anything  additional  to 
what  has  already  been  done,  as  it  is  evidently  feit  that  some  disposition 
should  be  made  of  the  recommendations  already  pending.  In  the  nature 
of  the  case,  therefore,  a  meeting  of  the  committee,  during  the  present 
year,  was  hardly  necessary,  and  the  chairman  contents  himself  with  sug- 
gesting, without  authority  from  the  committee  as  a  whole,  that  the  presi- 
dent of  the  American  Mining  Congress  select  a  member  from  each  state 
where  there  is  no  subsidiary  branch  of  the  organization,  to  offer  the  pro- 
posed measure  for  the  consideration  of  the  local  legislature,  leaving  it  to 
the  subsidiary  branches,  where  they  exist,  to  submit  the  measure  to  the 
lawmakers  of  their  districts:  The  corporation  laws  of  the  several  states 
are  not  uniform;  therefore,  it  is  not  possible  to  present  a  uniform  law  to 
them  with  the  assurance  that  it  will  accord  with  local  judgment. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

CHARLES   J.   DOWNEiY,   Chairman. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  What  is  your  pleasure  with  the  report? 
If  there  is  no  objection — 

MR.  DANIELS:  In  case  this  report  is  accepted  now  will  there  be  an 
opportunity  to  bring  up  any  matter  in  connection  with  it  later  on? 

PRESlDEiNT  RICHARDS:  Certainly;  you  may  present  a  resolution 
at  any  time. 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  am  not  ready  just  now  to  do  so,  but  I  want  to 
later. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARD'S:  It  will  be  on  file  for  that  use  by  this 
body.  If  there  is  no  objection  it  will  be  filed  with  the  secretary. 

The  next  report  is  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  General  Revision 
of  Mining  Laws,  Dr.  W.  R.  Ingalls,  New  York  City. 

MR.  W.  R.  INGALLS,  O'F  NEW  YORK:  Mr.  President,  I  regret  that 
this  committee  has  nothing  to  report  but  progress.  It  has  been  giving 
its  consideration  to  the  subject  during  the  year,  but  the  subject  is  one 
that  requires  a  great  deal  of  time,  and  I  anticipate  that  it  will  be  several 
years  before  the  committee  will  be  able  to  make  a  final  report.  It  has 
been  suggested  to  me,  however,  by  our  esteemed  secretary  that  the  meet- 
ing would  be  interested  in  a  few  words  of  explanation  as  to  the  purposes 
of  the  committee,  and  if  you  will  excuse,  me  for  taking  your  time,  I  will 
make  such  an  explanation. 

This  committee  was  appointed  at  the  meeting  of  the  Mining  Congress 
at  Denver  two  years  ago,  its  purpose  being  to  prepare  a  modern  law  gov- 
erning metalliferous  mining  with  a  view  to  its  adoption  by  the  American 
Mining  Congress  and  recommendation  to  the  various  states  of  the  Union 


THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


AN  MINING  CONGRESS  33 

for  its  passage  as  a  uniform  law,  replacing  existing  laws  which  in  the 
best  cases  are  more  or  less  imperfect  and  out  of  date.  The  advantages 
of  a  uniform  law  among  all  the  states  are  so  obvious  that  no  discussion 
of  them  is  necessary. 

It  is  well  to  explain,  however,  that  the  work  of  the  committe  per- 
tains only  to  the  laws  regulating  quarrying  and  mining  from  the  stand- 
point of  public  safety,  which  regulation  comes  within  the  police  powers 
of  the  states,  and  in  no  way  extends  to  the  laws  which  determine  the 
titles  to  mining  lands  and  the  ownership  of  mines.  The  investigations 
of  the  committee  were  limited  to  quarrying  and  metalliferous  mining  be- 
cause conditions  governing  coal  mining  are  so  special  in  character  that 
they  can  be  met  properly  only  by  special  laws. 

As  a  first  step  the  committee  addressed  letters  to  the  governors  of 
all  the  states  to  find  out  what  laws  they  had.  The  replies  to  these  letters 
developed  that  many  of  the  states  in  which  mining  is  done  have  no  laws 
at  all  pertaining  to  the  subject.  Other  states  have  elaborate  laws  gov- 
erning coal  mining  but  not  applying  to  metalliferous  mining.  Some  " 
states  have  fragmentary  laws,  that  is  to  s-ay,  laws  aiming  to  prevent 
some  limited  classes  of  accidents,  the  enactment  of  which  has  been 
prompted  by  the  occurrence  of  some  accidents  of  that  sort.  It  appears 
that  Colorado,  Missouri,  Montana  and  New  York  are  the  only  states  which 
have  formulated  general  mining  laws  of  broad  scope.  It  is  particularly 
noteworthy  that  states  in  which  the  mining  industry  is  so  important  as 
California  and  Michigan  have  no  such  laws. 

In  Idaho  Mr.  Robert  M.  Bell,  the  State  Mining  Inspector,  has  been 
for  years  endeavoring  to  secure  the  passage  of  a  general  law.  It  appears 
that  the  laws  of  that  state  have  clauses  governing  only  a  few  special 
cases. 

Summarizing  briefly  the  present  status  of  this  matter,  the  following 
states  have  laws  which  apply  to  collieries  only:  Alabama,  Illinois,  Iowa, 
Michigan,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia.  The  following  states 
have  a  general  law  applying  to  metalliferous  mining:  Colorado,  Mis- 
souri, Montana  and  New  York.  The  following  states  have  special  laws 
pertaining  to  metalliferous  mining,  but  with  few  provisions  as  to  salety: 
Arizona,  Idaho,  Michigan,  Nevada,  New  Mexico,  North  Carolina,  Oregon, 
Idaho  and  Wyoming. 

Most  of  the  other  states  have  no  laws,  although  underground  mining 
is  or  has  been  conducted  in  many  of  them.  Tennessee  has  an  elaborate 
law  as  to  the  inspection  of  mines,  but  it  contains  few  provisions  as  to 
safety.  Michigan  also  has  a  law  providing  for  mine  inspection.  The 
other  states  either  have  no  law  or  have  provisions  governing  the  subject 
so  incorporated  in  other  laws  as  to  be  not  readily  available  and  conse- 
quently remain  generally  unknown. 

The  elaborate  factory  laws  of  many  states  contain  some  provisions 
that  apply  in  mining  and  metallurgical  work,  but  only  to  surface  opera- 
tions in  so  far  as  mining  is  concerned. 

The  committee  has  during  the  year  prepared  a  digest  of  the  more 
important  laws,  and  is  causing  them  to  be  published  with  the  hope  that 
they  will  draw  out  discussion  and  suggestions  as  to  the  provisions  that 
should  be  incorporated  in  a  complete  modern  law. 

Consequently,  Mr.  President,  the  committee  is  able  to  report  only 
progress,  and  to  ask  that  it  be  continued. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Is  there  any  discussion  or  suggestion  on 
the  report  just  made?  If  there  is  no  objection,  the  committee  will  be 
continued  as  requested.  Hearing  none,  it  will  be  so  ordered. 

Report  of  committee  on  smelter  rates,  Honorable  E.  A.  Colburn,  Den- 
ver, Colorado. 

The  report  of  this  committee  was  read  by  Secretary  Callbreath,  and 
is  as  follows: 


34  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  ON   THE    MUTUAL   RELATIONS   AND 
GRIEVANCES  OF  ORE  PRODUCERS  AND  CUSTOM   SMELTERS. 

To  the  President  and  Members  of  the  American  Mining  Congress: 

This  report  is  intended  to  recite  the  progress  made  by  your  com- 
mittee, and  should  be  considered  as  supplementary  to  the  report  sub- 
mitted to  the  Congress  a  year  ago. 

The  work  of  the  committee  has  been  in  the  interests  of  ore  pro- 
ducers in  the  regions  between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Pacific 
Coast,  whose  ores  are  valuable  for  one  or  more  of  the  four  metals;  gold, 
silver,  copper  and  lead.  In  the  former  report,  your  committee  urged 
mine  owners  to  join  one  another  in  independent  enterprises  for  the  treat- 
ment of  ores,  and  with  this  idea  in  mind  it  has  been  the  aim  of  your  com- 
mittee to  gather  and  disseminate  accurate  information  bearing  on  the 
commercial  s.de  of  smelting  and  refining,  rather  than  to  act  as  profess- 
ional advisers  to  each  dissatisfied  ore  producer  having  only  his  own  in- 
terests in  mind  and  wishing  only  to  drive  a  better  bargain  for  himself 
with  the  smelting  concerns  already  in  the  field. 

Although  many  owners  of  gold  mines  are  able  to  work  their  ores  by 
wet  processes,  and  although  many  of  the  large  copper  mining  companies 
have  smelting  works  of  their  own,  the  majority  of  ore  producers  are 
obliged  to  sell  the  output  of  their  mines  to  so-called  custom  smelters.  Be- 
cause of  the  unsettled  conditions  of  the  country's  finances  and  the  slump 
in  the  prices  of  all  metals,  and  because  of  set-backs  to  existing  smelting 
concerns  through  litigation  brought  by  hostile  farming  communities,  the 
conditions  prevailing  in  the  smelting  industry  during  the  year  just  past 
were  far  from  normal,  and  the  relations  between  ore  producers  and  ore 
buyers  were  strained  more  than  ever  before.  When  the  slump  in  metal 
prices  began,  the  smelting  companies  found  themselves  carrying  an  over- 
stock of  metals  which  the  market  would  not  absorb.  In  order,  therefore, 
to  avoid  piling  up  additional  metal  stocks,  the  ore  -buyers  sought  a  means 
of  curtailing  ore  shipments.  Being  obligated  to  receive  all  of  the  ores 
shipped  from  mines  whose  output  had  been  contracted  for  in  advance, 
the  curtailment,  fell  on  producers  who  had  no  contracts,  and  from  these 
the  ore  buyers  would  accept  no  ores  except  on  terms  so  unsatis- 
factory to  the  producers  as  to  be  a  matter  of  general  public  com- 
ment. This  attitude  of  the  ore  buyers,  whether  justified  or  not,  gave 
impetus  to  the  movement  for  independent  smelters,  and  resulted  in  wider 
investigation  and  discussion  of  the  commercial  side  of  smelting. 

Wje  are  pleased  to  record  the  rebuilding  of  the  Golden  Cycle  gold 
mill  at  Colorado  City,  and  the  completion  and  blowing  in  of  two  new  in- 
dependent smelting  plants,  the  Panhandle  smelter  at  Ponderay,  Idaho,  and 
the  Tintic  lead  and  copper  smelter  at  Silver  City,  Utah.  Other  inde- 
pendent enterprises  have  been  held  in  abeyance  by  the  late  financial 
disturbances. 

The  successful  operation  of  a  smelting  plant  calls  for  a  number  of 
conditions: 

1.  Ample  capital. 

2.  Competent  operating  talent. 

3.  Location  conducive  to  economy  of  operation. 

4.  Satisfactory   transportation    facilities    and    fair    freight   rates    on 
ores,  fuels  and  smelter  products. 

While  the  first  three  of  these  essentials  are  usually  within  the  con- 
trol of  mine  operators,  the  fourth  is  a  matter  calling  for  careful  considera- 
tion and  tactful  treatment.  Many  ore  producers  appearing  before  your 
committee  have  presented  evidence  intended  to  sustain  the  charge  that 
railroad  freight  rates  from  mining  districts  are  made  in  such  a  way  as 
to  favor  the  old  smelting  regime.  It  is  pointed  out  that  the  American 
Smelting  and  Refining  Company  maintains  a  traffic  department,  at  whose 


AMERICAN  MINING   CONGRESS  35 

head  is  a  corps  of  competent,  experienced,  high-salaried  traffic  men;  and 
it  is  claimed  that  these  officials  have  a  large  hand  in  the  making  of  such 
freight  rates  on  ore  and  bullion  as  are  published  by  the  railroad  com- 
panies, and  that  these  freight  rates  are  made  in  a  way  to  favor  the  large 
company  rather  than  the  smaller  competing  concerns.  However,  the  mat- 
ter of  freight  rates  on  ore  is  a  separate  problem  for  each  state  and  for 
each  mining  district.  Wherever  any  state  legislation  is  needed  to  pre- 
vent unjust  discrimination,  the  communities  affected  should  organize  to 
obtain  redress1.  Too  frequently,  it  happens  that  the  parties  clamoring 
for  reform  measures  are  undisciplined  and  unorganized,  and  are  torn  by 
petty  jealousies  and  personal  interests;  and  unless  the  reform  movement 
is  backed  by  deep  feeling  and  headed  by  a  disciplined  organization,  it 
will  be  of  no  avail  as  against  a  foe  well  organized  and  strongly  intrenched. 
Following  the  suggestions  made  by  your  committee  in  its  report  of  last 
year,  mine  operators  associations  have  been  formed  in  some  states  and 
many  district  organizations  have  been  formed.  These  organizations 
have  not  only  done  good  work  in  modifying  and  regulating  local  condi- 
tions, 'but  are  lending  much  assistance  towards  obtaining  needed  national 
legislation.  We  recommend  that  the  mine  operators  in  each  mining  state 
form  and  maintain  permanent  state  organizations  along  lines  on  which 
the  various  mining  interests  of  the  state  can  be  harmonized. 

First  place  in  the  custom  smelting  industry  is  still  held  by  the 
American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company,  which,  with  its"  allied  con- 
cerns, is  commonly  called  "the  smelting  trust."  Several  years  ago,  this 
company  'had  a  virtual  monopoly  of  the  custom  smelting  business,  and 
because  of  this  it  could  buy  ores  on  its  own  terms,  from  which  there  was 
no  appeal.  That  this  company  has  found  the  smelting  business  im- 
mensely profitable  is  not  denied;  the  simple  arithmetic  of  dividing  the 
probable  number  of  tons  of  ore  treated  by  this  concern  into  its  total  net 
earnings,  is  enough  to  show  an  ample  if  not  more  than  ample  profit  on 
the  ores  bought. 

Rumors  have  gained  currency  during  the  year  of  a  foothold  gained 
by  "Standard  Oil  Interests"  in  the  American  Smelting  and  Refining  Com- 
pany, some  rumors  even  crediting  these  interests  with  virtual  control. 
These  rumors,  taken  in  connection  with  the  control  already  held  by  the 
American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company  in  many  large  mines,  have  been 
disquieting  to  many  small  ore  producers.  In  the  judgment  of  your  com- 
mittee, however,  these  rumors,  even  if  true,  should  create  no  new  alarm, 
since  the  reputed  business  methods  of  the  alleged  new  interests  are  not 
essentially  different  from  those  of  the  old  regime.  In  western  parlance, 
the  men  at  the  head  of  the  smelting  trust  have  always  wanted  "four 
aces  before  the  draw,"  and  have  generally  refused  to  "sit  in  any  game" 
where  they  had  no  advantage  at  the  outset.  These  men  have  been  ore 
buyers,  not  miners;  and  whenever  pretending  to  develop  mines,  as  a 
rule  they  have  merely  been  buyers  of  ore  already  developed — buying 
from  parties  willing  to  sell  the  ore  in  the  ground  for  less  than  its  real 
value  in  order  to  save  the  time  and  the  trouble  of  mining  the  ore  and 
delivering  it. 

No  field  of  human  industry  calls  for  more  pluck  and  good  judgment 
than  the  development  of  metal  mines,  and  for  this  'reason  the  large 
prizes  in  metal  mining  will  always  be  distributed  among  the  daring.  And 
since  the  smelting  industry  hinges  so  closely  on  the  development  of  metal 
mines,  no  concern  can  hope  to  monopolize  the  field  permanently.  The 
main  safeguard  lies  in  fair  treatment  at  the  hands  of  transportation  com- 
panies. With  fair  freight  rates  on  all  ore  and  supplies  shipped  to  a 
smelter,  and  on  the  bullion,  etc.,  shipped  away;  with  no  discrimination 
in  favor  of  the  large  smelting  concerns  and  against  the  smaller  ones,  the 
independent  smelter  should  always  be  able  to  hold  its  own. 

In  conclusion,  we  desire  to  express  our  thanks  to  those  mining  opera- 
tors who  have  given  us  their  assistance,  and  to  those  familiar  with  the 
inside  history  of  smelting  who  have  generously  contributed  from  their 


36  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

store  of  information.  We  recommend  that  a  new  and  stronger  committee 
be  appointed  to  continue  the  work  of  this  committee,  and  that  the  new 
committee  be  so  constituted  as  to  coyer  a  larger  area  and  give  repre- 
sentation to  important  mining  states  not  at  present  represented  on  the 
committee.  Respectfully  submitted, 

E.  A.  COLBURN,   Chairman, 

GEO.  W.  RITER, 

L.  D.  GODSHALL, 

H,  S.  JOSEPH, 

E.  M.  DELAVERGNE. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  What  is  your  pleasure  with  the  report 
and  recommendations  as  read? 

MR.  STEELE,  OF  ALASKA:  I  would  move  you,  sir,  that  this  report 
be  accepted  and  filed: 

The  motion  was  seconded  and  prevailed  unanimously. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  next  is  the  report  of  the  Committee 
on  Investigation  of  the  National  Forest  Service  and  its  Effects  upon  the 
Mining  Industry,  Colonel  A.  G.  Brownlee,  Denver,  Colorado. 

COLONEL  A.  G.  BROWNLE®,  OF  COLORADO:  Mr.  President,  Ladies 
and  Gentlemen:  The  National  Forest  Service  Committee  is  one  of  re- 
cent appointment.  About  two  months  ago,  during  a  convention  of  mining 
men  in  Colorado,  a  letter  was  received  from  Mr.  Pinchot,  the  Forester 
of  the  National  Service,  requesting  that  a  committee  be  appointed  to  act 
in  conjunction  with  a  committee  to  be  appointed  by  President  Richards 
of  the  American  Mining  Congress,  to  confer  with  the  national  officers  in 
regard  to  complaints  which  were  being  received  by  the  Forest  Service. 
At  that  time  a  committee  of  three  resident  operators  of  Denver  was  ap- 
pointed. About  thirty  days  later  Mr.  Richards,  the  president  of  the  Amer- 
ican Mining  Congress,  added  two  other  names  to  the  committee,  which 
is  now  composed  as  follows:  A.  G.  Brownlee,  E.  A.  Colburn,  Geo.  J.  Ban- 
croft, Wm.  P.  Daniels  and  W.  F.  R.  Mills. 

The  committee  has  had  several  meetings  in  Denver,  studying  the 
rules  and  regulations  of  the  Forest  Service  in  connection  with  the  mining 
laws  of  the  country.  This  question  is  one  of  such  great  importance  that 
the  committee  recognized  that  it  must  gather  a  great  deal  of  information 
in  regard  to  specific  abuses,  and  through  the  medium  of  the  press  they 
sent  out  a  call  asking  that  such  reports  be  sent  to  the  committee  in  order 
that  they  might  be  properly  considered.  A  number  of  complaints  have 
been  presented  and  the  committee  is  now  at  work  upon  them.  It  will 
probably  require  some  time  before  all  the  specific  cases  of  complaint  will 
be  received,  assorted  and  considered,  so  as  to  determine  the  hardships 
and  injury  which  it  is  alleged  is  being  placed  upon  the  mining  industry 
by  the  National  Forest  Service. 

We  have  been  in  conference  with  the  officers  of  the  Forest  Service 
in  Colorado,  and  they  have  extended  to  us  all  the  help  they  can  in  con- 
sidering the  question. 

As  the  reports  are  received,  they  are  getting  the  consideration  of 
the  committee.  Naturally,  it  will  be  some  time  before  a  sufficient  num- 
ber will  have  been  received  to  enable  the  committee  to  determine  along 
what  lines  any  injury  is  being  done.  The  Forest  Service  acknowledges 
that  it  is  deluged  with  complaints,  many  of  which  it  claims  to  have  in- 
vestigated, some  of  which  they  say  are  well  founded,  and  most  of  them 
unfounded.  Naturally,  the  committee  appointed  by  the  Congress  is  going 
to  consider  the  complaints  very  carefully  in  connection  with  the  laws, 
and  it  will  be  some  time  before  it  will  be  ready  to  render  a  report  to  this 
Congress,  which  will  be  of  any  real  service.  I  know  it  was  generally 
understood  by  the  forest  officers  that  a  conference  was  to  be  had  at  this 
Congress  with  the  forest  officers  in  connection  with  this  work.  The  com- 
mittee is  not  even  prepared  for  them,  because  it  has  not  enough  informa- 
tion at  the  present  time. 


AMERICAN  MINING   CONGRESS  37 

Mr.  Riley,  the  gentleman  in  charge  of  the  forestry  office  in  Denver, 
called  on  me  a  few  days  ago  and  asked  that  he  be  furnished  copies  of  all 
the  complaints  so  far  received.  It  would  be  almost  impossible  to  furnish 
those,  and  if  we  are  to  furnish  the  Forestry  Service  with  the  complaints 
which  the  committee  has  received,  I  think,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the 
Forestry  Service  should  also  furnish  the  committee  with  the  complaints 
it  has  received. 

The  committee  is  now  present  at  this  meeting  of  the  Congress,  with 
the  exception  of  one  member,  and  it  is  going  to  hold  a  meeting  tonight 
in  the  Henry  Hotel.  If  anybody  has  any  information  in  regard  to  hard- 
ships, injuries  or  abuses  which  the  Forest  Service  has  placed  upon  the 
mining  industry  in  any  way,  the  committee  would  be  glad  to  hear  from 
these  gentlemen,  and  if  possible  have  the  complaints  reduced  to  writing, 
in  specific  form.  It  is  facts  that  we  want.  We  have  had  a  great  many 
arguments  presented,  ,but  those  are  things  which  the  committee  cannot 
consistently  entertain.  We  want  to  get  the  facts  so  that  we  will  find 
out  where  the  injury  lies.  The  Forest  Service  is  a  new  thing  in  our  land. 
Mr.  Pinchot  recognizes  the  complaints  which  are  coming  in  as  statements 
of  facts  that  are  troubling  him  a  great  deal,  and  the  matter  is  going  to 
be  taken  up  and  investigated  thoroughly,  so  that  when  we  are  prepared 
to  report,  we  will  also  be  prepared  to  go  before  the  Forest  service  and 
discuss  matters  intelligently.  Until  that  is  done,  it  would  be  unwise  to 
make  any  recommendations  in  the  matter.  (Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  think  we  have  reason  to  feel  grateful 
to  these  standing  committees  for  the  diligence  they  have  shown  in  the 
work  placed  in  their  keeping,  and  the  care  which  they  have  exercised. 

MR.  ROCKWELL,  OF  IDAHO:  I  rise  for  information.  Would  it  be 
proper  to  ask  of  this  committee  which  has  just  reported  a  question?  It 
refers  to  the  matter  of  purchasing  mining  timber  from  the  government 
through  its  agents  of  the  Forest  Reserves. 

In  my  territory  the  Forestry  Service  is  charging  an  excessive  price 
to  mines  for  timber.  It  is  a  price  equivalent  to  from  $10.00  to  $15.00  per 
thousand,  board  measure,  while  it  charges  the  saw  mills  from  $1.50  to 
$2.50  per  thousand,  board  measure.  The  Forest  Reserve  in  my  territory 
has  compelled  us  in  felling  our  timber  to  cut  the  logs  on  a  basis  of  six 
inches  at  the  small  end.  Much  of  the  Douglas  fir,  which  grows  in  large 
quantities  in  the  State  of  Idaho,  tapers  so  gradually  that  on  a  recent  pur- 
chase of  mining  timber  about  25  per"  cent,  of  that  timber  tapering  away 
from  the  butt,  running  from  8  to  22  feet  in  length,  carried  the  proscrip- 
tion of  the  Forest  Reserve  as  to  six  inch  small  end.  Now  a  six  inch 
piece  of  mining  timber  is  all  right  for  fence  posts  for  a  sheep  pasture, 
but  there  are  none  of  us  who  want  to  put  any  of  it  in  a  drift  in  swelling 
ground.  Notwithstanding  that  fact,  the  government  charges  one  cent 
per  lineal  foot,  5  to  7  times  as  much  as  timber  for  commercial  purposes, 
and  threatens  to  increase  the  charge!  It  is  a  very  important  matter,  it 
seems  to  me,  and  one  that  should  be  taken  up  by  this  Congress,  through 
the  committee  which  is  now  in  consultation  with  the  Forest  Reserve 
officers.  On  this  very  important  matter  of  the  aggression  of  its  agents 
toward  the  prospector,  it  has  within  the  last  season,  come  to  me  very 
forcibly  that  here  is  also  a  position  the  Forest  Reserve  is  placing  the 
mining  operators  in  that  should  be  given  immediate  attention.  And  so 
I  would  like  to  inquire  if  it  is  proper  to  load  this  committee,  already  en- 
gaged in  a  very  useful  and  important  work,  with  instructions  to  receive 
specific  information  as  to  grievances  such  as  I  have  spoken  of.  And  I 
should  like  to  hear  from  any  other  Operator  in  the  Congress  who  has  had 
similar  experiences  in  the  purchase  of  timber  on  the  Forest  Reserve. 
(Applause.) 

COLONEL  BROWNLBE:  We  have  received  some  complaints  along 
the  lines  that  the  gentleman  has  just  mentioned,  and  we  believe  that  it 
might  be  unwise  to  delay  action  in  connection  with  the  use  of  timber  on 
mineral  claims.  If  timber  is  being  sold  in  the  manner  which  the  speaker 


38  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

has  just  spoken  of,  we  would  be  glad  to  have  a  conference  with  him  in 
regard  to  it. 

Some  members  of  our  committee  have  thought  it  wise  to  introduce  a 
resolution  at  this  Congress  asking  that  the  Forest  Service  refrain  from 
cutting  any  timber  on  mineral  claims  that  have  >been  located,  whether 
they  are  patented  or  unpatented.  We  are  in  receipt  of  complaints  that 
timber  is  being  sold  by  forestry  officers  from  claims  that  are  being 
worked  by  bonafide  locators,  the  miner  thus  being  denied  the  right  to 
use  timber  which  properly  belongs  to  him  and  which  he  should  have  to 
properly  develop  his  claim.  We  would  be  pleased  if  the  gentleman  who 
has  just  spoken  will  meet  with  the  committee  tonight,  and  assist  in  pre- 
paring proper  resolutions  asking  for  temporary  restraint  of  the  alleged 
abuses  until  the  complete  investigation  is  made  by  the  committee.  The 
question  of  the  wisdom  of  selling  any  timber  from  mineral  lands,  in  or 
near  forest  reserves,  is  a  serious  one  that  should  be  carefully  considered, 
and  perhaps  it  might  be  wise  if  this  Congress  made  some  recommenda- 
tion in  regard  to  this  important  matter. 

GEORGE  J.  BANCROFT,  OF  COLORADO:  I  would  like  to  ask  the  gen- 
tleman from  Idaho,  so  that  the  information  may  come  before  the  Con- 
gress as  a  whole,  whether  or  not  the  Forest  Reserve  officers  have  done 
any  forestry  in  Idaho,  in  tree  planting,  or  in  cultivation  of  the  forests, 
which  warrants  them  in  keeping  this  charge  on  mining  timber? 

MR.  ROCKWELL-:  I  will  say  to  the  gentleman,  not  as  far  as  I 
know.  That  is,  they  have  not  done  so  in  the  Sawtooth  Reserve,  which 
is  in  the  country  where  I  am  operating.  They  are  extraordinarily  officious, 
quite  drastic,  severe,  and  have  put  us  to  a  lot  of  trouble  in  getting  any 
timber  at  all.  I  will  say,  however,  that  after  taking  their  own  time  in 
inspecting,  scaling  and  stamping  the  timber  you  are  finally  able  to  get 
your  logs  cut.  Every  tree  is  stamped  before  it  is  allowed  to  be  cut.  To 
a  very  large  extent,  we  have  literally  been  robbed  and  are  being  robbed 
today,  and  they  admit  it.  Think  of  paying  a  cent  per  lineal  foot  for  min- 
ing timber,  on  the  theory  that  while  they  charge  a  price  of  $1.50  to  $2.50, 
board  measure,  per  thousand  to  saw  mills,  the  mines,  theoretically,  are 
supposed  to  require  the  best  timber  in  the  reserve,  which  is  the  reason 
they  give  for  charging  us  an  excessive  figure.  They  select  the  timber 
themselves,  and  yet  25  per  cent,  of  the  total  selected  is  a  kind  of  timber 
that  would  make  reasonable  fence  posts  for  a  sheep  pasture,  but  not  a 
foot  of  it  would  be  worth  anything  under  any  circumstances  for  mining 
use,  except  for  wedges.  Well,  gentlemen,  we  do  not  like  to  pay  a  cent  a 
foot  for  wedge  lumber.  (Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  had  a  telegram  from  Mr.  Pinchot  want- 
ing to  know  if  it  would  be  possible  for  our  committee  and  myself  to  meet 
him  and  the  Service  in  Washington  after  this  session.  I  told  him  I  could 
not  answer  until  I  had  seen  Mr.  Brownlee  at  Pittsburg,  and  possibly,  at 
the  convenience  of  Mr.  Brownlee,  we  had  better  notify  him  by  wire  our 
conclusion  in  the  matter. 

Is  there  any  further  discussion  on  this  question? 

H.  F.  FULTON,  OF  OHIO:  I  have  been  up  against  these  Forest  Re- 
serve propositions  myself  this  season.  I  made  a  visit  to  Washington  in 
May,  and  talked  some  with  the  Forest  Reserve  people,  and  I  found  this 
situation  down  there.  I  think  they  are  feeling  their  way.  As  nearly  as 
I  could  discover  they  seemed  to  have  no  specific  law  under  which  they 
act.  They  were  simply  making  the  most  strenuous  possible  effort  to  hus- 
band every  foot  of  timber  that  could  be  husbanded,  regardless  of  the 
rights  of  others.  I  happened  to  get  into  the  management  of  a  proposition 
that  had  cut  some  timber  a  year  ago  this  fall,  to  the  extent  of  50,000  or 
60,000  feet,  upon  their  own  claims,  claims  upon  which  they  had  done 
work  for  the  past  six  years,  which  to  my  mind  gives  them  an  ownership 
of  those  claims,  every  year's  work  being  made  a  payment  on  that  prop- 
erty when  you  want  to  get  it  patented.  You  are  required  to  do  so  many 
years'  work. 


AMERICAN   MINING   CONGRESS  39 

I  find  that  the  Forest  Reserve  officers  were  feeling  around  to  find  out 
just  about  how  much  the  mining  interests  would  stand.  I  believe  that  if 
a  committee  from  this  Congress  will  meet  with  the  Forest  Reserve  in 
Washington  and  go  over  the  entire  ground  and  show  them  where  they 
are  mistaken  in  many  of  their  decisions,  that  there  will  be  no  trouble  in 
reaching  an  arrangement  that  will  be  satisfactory  to  all. 

I  took  this  matter  up  with  an  attorney,  who  at  one  time  was  con- 
nected with  the  Forest  Reserve,  and  he  assured  me  that  many  of  the 
requirements  they  put  upon  the  miners  were  not  supported  by  law,  and 
that  the  necessary  thing  to  do  was  to  get  together  with  the  Forest  Re- 
serve people  and  influence  them,  and  bring  them  down  off  their  perch. 
They  were  feeling  a  little  bit  cocky  in  regard  to  the  Forest  Reserve,  and 
their  rights,  and  as  the  gentleman  from  Idaho  has  said,  there  is  so  much 
red  tape  that  you  cannot  accomplish  much.  I  asked  for  a  permit  to  cut 
a  new  road  through  some  timber  a  few  weeks  ago.  The  permit  was 
granted  me  and  the  statement  was  made  that  in  three  or  four  or  six 
weeks  perhaps  some  agent  of  the  Forest  Reserve  would  go  with  my  men 
up  there,  and  he  would  mark  trees  we  might  cut  up.  I  expected  to  have 
all  that  done  before  we  got  the  usual  three  feet  of  snow,  but  the  red  tape 
has  made  it  necessary  for  me  to  put  that  matter  off  until  next  spring. 
My  suggestions  to  this  Congress  would  be  in  the  line  with  what  the  presi- 
dent has  said  just  now,  that  if  he  and  this  committee  will  meet  the 
Forest  Reserve  officers  in  Washington  and  state  their  grievances,  and 
you  know  the  situation  and  you  do  not  need  to  get  very  much  informa- 
tion, state  the  grievances  and  come  right  down  pat  with  those  people 
and  say  that  you  want  your  rights  and  you  will  get  them;  and  you  won't 
get  them  until  you  do.  (Applause.) 

MR.  J.  W.  KNIGHT,  OF  PROVO,  UTAH:  I  wish  to  say  just  a  word  on 
the  question  of  the  Forest  Reserve  interfering  somewhat  with  the  mining 
industry  of  our  different  states. 

I  find  in  Utah  where  we  are  patenting  a  great  many  claims  that 
these  patents  are  unnecessarily  delayed  until  the  government  sees  fit  to 
send  us  a  man  to  go  and  inspect  our  ground  to  see  if  it  is  mineral  ground. 

Now,  as  a  general  rule,  what  does  a  forester  know  about  mineral 
ground?  Upon  what  theory  can  they  ride  over  our  ground  and  determine 
intelligently  whether  we  should  be  permitted  to  go  to  patent  or  not? 
Why,  we  may  have  already  spent  over  $500.00  worth  of  work  on  the  claim 
and  are  all  ready  to  go  to  patent  with  them.  Besides,  we  are  paying  $5.00 
an  acre,  the  highest  price  asked  by  the  government  for  this  class  of  land, 
and  yet  we  are  delayed  by  the  forester,  but  if  we  do  not  get  the  inspec- 
tion done  the  year  we  undertake  to  patent,  we  are  obliged  to  do  the  as- 
sessment work  on  the  claims  for  another  year,  being  thus  put  to  a  great 
deal  of  expense. 

It  is  a  great  hindrance  to  the  mining  industry  of  the  western  country 
where  the  mountains  are  covered  with  timber,  and  it  is  necessary  to  see 
a  forester  in  order  to  patent  ground.  I  think  that  something  should  be 
done  in  this  line  as  well  as  concerning  the  use  of  the  timber. 

Elven  to  lay  a  pipe  line  from  an  air  compressor  to  a  tunnel  some  dis- 
tance away,  we  have  to  be  delayed  until  some  one  comes  and  makes  an 
inspection  which  has  caused  delays  that  have  been  very  expensive. 

I  think  something  should  be  done  to  avoid  all  this  "red  tape"  about 
such  small  matters. 

DOCTOR  JO'HN  BROWN,  OF  NEW  JERSEY:  Mr.  President,  Ladies 
and  Gentlemen:  I  am  not  very  familiar  with  the  question  of  forest  re- 
serves in  the  western  country  and  its  relation  to  mining  timber,  but  I 
know  some  things  that  I  wish  to  call  to  the  attention  of  this  Congress 
and  to  the  attention  of  the  committee,  that  is  to  confer  with  the  gentle- 
men of  the  western  states  about  this  matter  and  with  the  gentlemen  of 
the  Forestry  Service.  It  was  stated  by  one  of  the  gentlemen  preceding 
me  (I  do  not  remember  just  which  state  he  came  from,  but  he  asked  the 
question  whether  the  government  and  the  Forestry  Service  had  done 


40  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

anything  towards  reforesting  in  the  western  states  on  lands  where  they 
sold  the  mining  timber)  that  timber  is  sold  to  them  for  mining  purposes 
at  prices  perhaps  ten  times  as  high  as  it  is  for  saw  mill  purposes.  Now 
I  wish  to  state,  as  far  as  my  experience  goes  in  forestry,  that  whether 
the  timber  and  lumber  are  cut  for  saw  mill  purposes  or  for  mining  pur- 
poses, the  reforesting  will  cost  just  as  much,,  and  that  does  not  explain 
the  difference  in  price  between  timber  cut  for  mining  purposes  .and  that 
cut  for  saw  mill  purposes.  I  recognize  that  mining  timber  should  be  of 
the  first-class,  and  strongest  timber  that  could  be  possibly  gotten,  yet  I 
think  a  difference  in  price  of  ten  times  over  saw  mill  timber  is  absolutely 
excessive,  and  it  will  be  a  very  good  thing  if  this  Congress  and  if  this 
committee  reaches  a  determination  and  a  decision  with  the  Forestry 
Service  which  will  equalize  this  difference.  (Applause.) 

MR.  STEDELE1:  I  come  from  the  land  of  snow  and  Esquimaux 
(Alaska),  and  I  am  operating  in  the  largest  forest  reserve  under  the 
American  flag.  We  have  a  grievance  up  our  way,  though  perhaps  not 
as  great  as  that  of  my  friend  from  Idaho.  I  do  not  think  our  condition 
is  quite  as  bad.  For  instance,  we  consider  in  our  locality  that  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  we  are  public  benefactors.  We  have  been  led  to  believe  that 
the  forest  reserve  people  are  there  to  assist  and  to  promote  in  every 
way  possible  the  mining  industry.  I  wish  to  mention  one  matter  which 
we  are  doing,  and  that  is  we  maintain  a  salt  water  wharf.  We  charge  no 
wharfage  whatever  to  anyone,  all  of  our  neighbors  use  the  wharf  as 
freely  as  we  do  ourselves,  except  that  they  must  remove  their  goods 
when  they  come  in  our  way.  Our  forest  reserve  man  comes  to  notify  me 
each  year,  as  we  have  to  rebuild  every  year  on  account  of  conditions 
there,  that  we  must  make  an  estimate  of  the  amount  of  growing  timber 
that  we  want  to  cut  before  we  are  allowed  to  go  in.  If  we  do  not  make 
that  eseimate  our  timber  will  cost  us  probably  double  what  it  would  cost 
us  if  we  got  in  our  estimate  beforehand.  We  also  make  an  estimate 
of  the  amount  of  timber  that  we  have  to  cut  for  road  building.  Fortu- 
nately, I  let  him  go  and  make  the  estimate;  I  did  not  ask  about  it  at  all 
until  we  got  it  cut;  if  we  had  we  would  not  have  gotten  the  timber  yet. 
Our  mine  timber  costs  us  more  of  course  than  our  wharfage  timber.  But 
we  maintain  that  so  long  as  we  are  public  benefactors,  maintaining  a 
wharf  at  our  own  expense  to  assist  not  only  ourselves  but  to  help  our 
neighbors,  that  we  should  be  charged  nothing  whatever.  We  think  that 
we  should  be  allowed  that  timber  free.  W!e  are  doing  a  great  deal  more 
for  the  public  good  in  that  country  than  Uncle  Sam  is  for  the  mining  in- 
dustry. We  are  paying  money  into  Uncle  Sam's  treasury  every  day  in 
the  way  of  licenses  and  every  other  way  that  they  can  collect  it,  and  I 
can  say  to  you  now  that  we  are  pretty  sore  on  this  deal.  (Applause.) 

MR.  JOHN  R.  WOOD,  OF  COLORADO:  I  thought  as  the  gentleman 
from  Alaska  was  speaking  that  if  there  are  as  many  forestry  agents  around 
in  Alaska  as  there  are  in  some  portions  of  Colarado  that  there  would 
have  been  a  process  served  upon  him  before  his  road  was  done.  (Laugh- 
ter.) Now,  there  is  no  one,  I  take  it,  more  desirous  of  preserving  the 
timber  than  the  miner.  He  knows  the  need  of  good  timber.  And  he 
knows  the  care  that  is  required  to  preserve  the  timber,  and  we  are  all 
anxious  for  the  proper  conservation  of  the  timber  resources  of  our  min- 
ing districts.  But  we  also  are  well  posted,  as  is  shown  here,  as  to  the 
difficulties  which  are  beginning  to  hamper  us.  We  are  being  shackled 
on  all  sides  and  we  are  finding  it  almost  impossible  to  get  relief  when 
we  should  have  relief.  We  feel,  as  has  been  suggested  by  the  gentleman, 
I  believe,  from  O'hio,  that  while  there  is  an  honest  desire  at  Washington 
to  get  at  the  justice  of  these  things,  it  is  impossible,  as  it  seems  to  some 
of  us,  that  justice  can  be  done  to  us  in  the  metalliferous  region  at  least, 
except  by  withdrawing  such  regions  from  the  forest  reserves.  (Ap- 
plause.) It  may  be  that  before  we  get  through  with  this  session  this 
matter  will  be  brought  to  you  in  the  form  of  a  resolution,  or  some  sug- 
gestion asking  the  committee  to  present  this  matter  at  Washington.  We 


AMERICAN   MINING   CONGRESS  41 

wish  you  would  talk  it  over  among  yourselves.  We  wish  you  would  get 
it  in  your  mind  whether  or  no  this  would  be  the  proper  settlement  of 
these  difficulties,  so  that  if  the  matter  does  come  on  in  some  such  form 
we  may  take  it  up  and  put  it  through  speedily.  (Applause.) 

M!R.  ROCKWELL:  I  wish  to  say  to  this  Congress  that  we  in  Idaho 
have  had  a  great  deal  of  difficulty  with  the  timber  questio'n.  We  have 
been  arrested  and  hounded  and  chased.  My  distinguished  friend  from 
Boise,  that  great  jurist,  Judge  Beatty,  of  the  Federal  bench,  and  also  a 
friend  of  our  president  here,  after  his  famous  ruling  in  those  timber  cases 
in  the  Coeur  d'  Alene  and  in  the  central  part  of  the  state,  said  to  me  per- 
sonally in  response  to  a  visit  which  I  made  to  him,  after  the  government 
agent  had  been  in  our  country  checking  up  our  timber  which  we  had  cut 
on  government  land  without  permission  before  the  reserves  were  estab- 
lished: "I  rendered  my  decision  on  the  basis  that  you  were  mining  on 
government  land  for  precious  metals  which  the  government  desired  to 
have  mined,  and  for  which  it  had  granted  you  the  patent.  The  govern- 
ment knows  that  you  cannot  mine  precious  metals  without  timbering 
your  drifts  and  stopes.  It  is  impossible  to  open  a  mine,  ordinarily,  with- 
out the  aid  of  timber.  Timber  grows  on  government  lands  almost  ex- 
clusively, therefore  I  maintained  in  my  decision  that  all  timbers  cut  on 
government  land  for  use  underground  in  mining  should  belong  by  right  and 
by  law  to  the  mine  owner,  and  that  Uncle  Sam  ought  to  cheerfully  con- 
tribute the  amount  of  timber  required  for  the  mining  industry  under- 
ground without  charge." 

Of  course  that  decision  was  reversed,  and  I  presume  that  our  presi- 
dent here  will  tell  us  just  how.  I  am  not  a  lawyer.  The  forest  reserves 
were  born  after  that  and  we  are  all  now  under  its  influence,  and  we  are 
treated  as  though  we  were  usurpers.  They  are  as  jealous  of  the  reserves 
as  a  mother  is  of  her  babe. 

They  seem  to  consider  that  as  mine  owners  we  are  large  capitalists, 
who  ought  to  contribute  a  large  amount  of  money  for  its  support;  hence, 
in  my  opinion,  this  outrageous  charge  which  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  learned 
servants  agrees  to  be  ours  by  inherent  right.  It  appears  to  me  that  the 
hardships  and  enormous  expense  incident  to  preparation  for  deep  mining 
are  now  so  great  as  to  tax  capital  to  its  uttermost,  and  should  not  also  be 
yoked  to  this  additional  burden. 

My  desire  in  speaking  on  this  question  again  is  to  call  your  special 
attention  to  the  opinion  of  one  of  the  greatest  jurists  on  the  Federal  bench 
on  the  question  of  timber  for  use  in  mining. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Are  there  any  further  remarks?  I  want 
to  call  especial  attention  to  the  program  for  this  evening.  I  have  had 
the  pleasure  of  listening  to  Dr.  Douglas  before,  and  I  consider  him  one  of 
the  best  informed  men  on  any  subject  that  he  pretends  to  understand, 
that  I  have  ever  heard  address  this  Congress.  I  know  that  you  will  miss 
a  treat  if  you  fail  to  hear  him  tonight  in  this  hall. 

MR.  DANIELS:     I  believe  the  introduction  of  resolutions  is  in  order. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     At  any  time. 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  would  like  to  present  the  following  for  reference 
to  a  committee.  It  is  somewhat  in  line  with  the  recommendation  made 
in  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Smelting: 

Resolution   No.  1. 
(By  W.  P.  Daniels,  of  Colorado.) 

Whereas,  The  American  Mining  Congress  has  by  amendments  to 
its  laws,  provided  for  the  establishment  of  branches  of  the  Congress 
wherever  fifty  or  more  members  desire  the  establishment  of  such  a 
branch,  looking  to  the  ultimate  establishment  of  state  and  local  organi- 
zations to  be  governed  by  a  national  body  consisting  of  representatives  of 
such  local  and  state  organizations,  and 

Whereas,  The  present  laws  of  the  Congress  did  not  originally  con- 
template   a    delegate    or    representative    organization    with    subordinate 


42  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

bodies,  self-governing  within  the  provisions  of  the  laws  of  the  Congress, 
and  the  amendments  providing  for  the  establishment  of  branches  is  not 
in  harmony  with  the  original  plan  or  the  present  laws;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  members  of  the  Congress  bo 
appointed  by  the  president  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  prepare  and  report 
to  the  next  annual  session  of  the  Congress,  such  amendments  or  such  ft 
revision  of  the  present  laws  as  will  provide  for  a  representative  na- 
tional governing  body  with  state  and  local  bodies  subordinate  to  and 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  national  body,  and  it  is  the  sense  of  the 
members  of  this  session  of  the  Congress  that  all  life  members  of  the 
Congress  who  are  or  may  become  life  members  under  its  existing  laws, 
should  be  made  life  members  of  the  national  Congress  with  all  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  the  representative  or  delegate  members  that  may  be 
provided  for  in  such  report. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  resolution  will  be  referred  to  the 
Committee  on  Resolutions. 

The  secretary  has  some  announcements  to  make. 

The  secretary  announced  the  names  of  the  members  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Resolutions;  also  calling  attention  to  desirability  of  members 
registering,  receiving  their  badges,  etc. 

MR.-  LANG,  OF  CANADA:  While  speaking  this  morning  I  omitted  to 
state  to  this  meeting  that  I  had  with  me  several  reports  by  Arthur  A. 
Cole,  mining  engineer,  of  the  Northern  Railway.  In  this  report  will  be 
found  details  of  what  we  have  been  doing  at  Cobalt.  I  should  like  to  se« 
these  reports  distributed  as  well  as  possible.  I  might  say  this,  that  any- 
one desiring  a  copy  of  this  report  may  get  the  same  by  writing  to  Mr. 
Cole  at  Cobalt. 

I  wish  to  say,  too,  Mr.  President,  while  speaking,  that  I  have  enjoyed 
immensely  the  discussions  of  this  afternoon,  particularly  in  regard  to  tim- 
ber. I  can  quite  understand  your  troubles,  and  I  am  interested  in  the 
discussion.  I  have  enjoyed  it  very  much. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     Any  other  matters  before  we  adjourn? 

MR.  KNIGHT:  Just  one  more  word  relative  to  forestry — regarding 
water.  If  a  man  files  on  water  for  mining  power  purposes  it  is  necessary 
to  get  a  permit  from  the  forester,  and  in  the  permit  it  is  stated  that  the 
permit  may  be  cancelled  at  any  time.  You  can  readily  see  how  that 
places  the  operator.  He  goes  to  the  expense  of  putting  up  a  big  power 
plant  and  at  any  time  the  Forestry  Department  has  the  right  to  cancel 
the  permit.  And  yet  we  spend  our  money  to  develop  the  country  and 
we  are  held  back  in  this  way.  I  desire  to  bring  this  before  the  committee 
along  with  the  other  complaints. 

MR.  BROWNLEOE:  Before  we  adjourn  I  would  like  to  say  that  the 
Forest  Service  Committee  will  meet  at  eight  o'clock  to-night  in  Room 
215  at  the  Hotel  Henry.  Anybody  who  wishes  to  communicate  with  them 
will  find  the  full  committee  in  session  at  that  time  and  place. 

COL.  H.  H.  GREiGG,  OF  MISSOURI:  I  would  like  to  ask  all  gen- 
tlemen interested  in  zinc  mining  from  Missouri,  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Iowa, 
Colorado  and  any  other  states  to  please  remain  here  a  little  while  after 
the  adjournment  of  the  session  this  afternoon  that  we  may  talk  on  some 
matters  pertaining  to  that. 

Thereupon  an  adjournment  was  taken  until  eight  o'clock  p.  m. 

WEDNESDAY,    DECEMBER    2,    1908. 
Evening  Session. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  take  great  pleasure  in  introducing  to 
you  Dr.  James  Douglas  of  New  York  City,  who  will  speak  to  you  on  "The 
Mining  Industry  as  Influenced  by  Transportation." 

Dr.  Douglas'  address  will  be  found  on  page  71,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 


AMERICAN   MINING   CONGRESS  43 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  know  we  shall  all  be  gratified  to  have 
the  opportunity  of  hearing  Dr.  George  Otis  Smith,  Director  of  the  United 
States  Geological  Survey,  Washington,  on  the  Distribution  of  the  Nation's 
Wealth. 

Dr.  Smith's  address  will  be  found  on  page  247,  Part  II.,  of  this 
report. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  Mineral  Resources  of  Alaska,  by 
Dr.  A.  H.  Brooks,  Chief,  Alaskan  Division,  U.  S,  Geological  Survey,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

Dr.  Brooks'  address  will  be  found  on  page  258,  Part  II.,  of  this  report: 

Thereupon  the  Congress  adjourned  until  10  o'clock  Thursday  morning. 

THURSDAY,    DECEMBER    3,    19C8. 
Morning  Session.        . 

The  Congress  was  called  to  order  by  President  Richards. 

The  secretary  read  an  invitation  from  the  Engineers'  Society  of 
Western  Pennsylvania,  tendering  the  use  of  their  club  rooms  to  the 
members  and  delegates. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  I  desire  to  make  announcement 
with  reference  to  the  luncheon  which  is  offered  to  the  members  of  the 
Congress,  delegates  and  visitors  at  the  H.  J.  Heinz  pickle  plant,  which 
can  be  reached  in  ten  minutes  or  less  from  this  hall  by  the  cars.  The 
desire  is  that  all  of  us  shall  go  there  in  a  body  at  noon;  luncheon  will  be 
served  at  12:30,  and  a  chance  given  to  visit  the  largest  pickle  works 
and  pure  food  establishment  in  the  world.  This  is  a  very  pleasant  and 
courteous  invitation,  and  the  management  is  very  anxious  that  you  shall 
go.  It  should  be  known  in  advance  how  many  will  take  advantage  of 
the  invitation  in  order  that  proper  preparations  may  be  made.  Tickets 
will  be  furnished  to  those  who  desire  to  go,  and  it  is  desired  that  you 
secure  tickets  not  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  admission  but  for  the  pur- 
pose of  notifying  the  Heinz  company  as  to  how  many  people  will  be 
present  in  order  that  suitable  preparations  may  be  made.  I  know  you 
will  all  be  pleased  when  you  get  there.  This  establishment  does  not  do 
things  by  halves.  Tickets  will  be  distributed  at  the  door. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  Resolution  No.  2,  introduced  by  Colonel 
H.  H.  Gregg,  of  Joplin,  Missouri,  as  follows: 

Resolution   No.  2. 
(Introduced  by  H.  H.  Gregg,  of  Missouri.) 

Whereas  -  It  is  evident  that  the  free  importation  of  fv  reign  ores  is 
not  only  inimical  to  the  direct  interests  of  the  miners  of  zinc  ores  in  the 
United  States,  but  also  fruitful  of  wasteful  methods  of  mining;  and 

Wlhereas,  The  principle  of  protection  has  been  applied  to  spelter  and 
unrefined  zinc  products;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  By  the  American  Mining  Congress  that  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  be  urged  to  impose  such  a  duty  on  the  importation  of 
all  zinc  ores  as  will  protect  the  interests  of  the  miners  and  cons'erve  this 
most  important  mineral  resource. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  resolution  introduced  by  Mr.  Peter  Han- 
raty,  Chief  Mine  Inspector  of  the  State  of  Oklahoma. 

Resolution  No.  3. 

(Introduced  by  Peter  Hanraty,  of  Oklahoma.) 

Whereas,  The  number  of  fatal  accidents  in  the  mines  of  the  United 
States  is  gradually  increasing,  and 

Whereas,  Thousands  of  men  are  being  employed  to  work  in  the 
mines  of  our  country  who  know  nothing  about  the  dangers  incident  to 
the  business,  thereby  causing  the  death  of  hundreds  of  human  beings 
and  the  destruction  of  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  property;  there- 
fore, be  it 


44  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Resolved,  That  the  delegates  to  this  Mining  Congress  held  in  the 
City  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  December  2,  1908,  do  hereby  agree  to  work  to  the 
end  to  have  incorporated  in  the  mining  laws  of  our  respective  states  the 
following: 

That  in  all  mines  where  explosives  are  used  to  blast  the  coal,  that 
shot  firers  shall  be  employed  to  fire  the  shots.  Said  shots  shall  be  fired 
at  the  end  of  each  shift,  but  not  until  all  miners  and  other  employees 
working  therein  are  out  of  the  mine.  All  holes  shall  be  tamped  by  the 
shot-firers  with  fire  clay,  and  it  shall  be  unlawful  for  the  shot-firer  to 
light  the  shots  in  more  than  one  working  place  at  any  one  time  in  any 
one  split  of  air.  And  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  if  the  mine  inspector  finds  any  matter,  thing  or  prac- 
tice in  or  connected  with  any  mine  to  be  dangerous  or  defective,  so  as  in 
his  opinion  to  threaten  or  tend  to  the  bodily  injury  of  any  person,  such 
inspector  and  each  of  his  assistants  shall  have  power  to  immediately 
stop  the  operation  of  any  mine  or  part  thereof  where  any  dangerous 
conditions  are  found. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  One  of  the  great  questions  now  attract- 
ing the  attention  of  the  thoughtful  men  of  the  country  is  how  best  to 
conserve  the  great  coal  interests  of  this  country.  Wle  have  with  us  this 
morning  Mr.  J.  B.  Zerbe,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  who  will  speak  to  us  upon 
that  subject. 

Mr.  Zerbe's  address  will  be  found  on  page  181,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  In  my  short  journey  through  life  I  have 
necessarily  come  in  contact  with  one  of  the  great  questions  that  has 
been  welling  up  from  the  human  heart  ever  since  the  dawn  of  modern 
civilization,  if  not  a  long  time  before  that.  It  is  this  inhumanity  of  man 
to  man  that  raises  that  question  so  pre-eminently  at  this  hour.  And  as 
I  have  come  in  contact  with  that  thought,  wholly  irrespective  of  whether 
right  in  their  ideas  or  in  their  methods,  still,  as  I  see  it,  underneath  it 
all  is  a  cry  for  justice;  and  if  that  is  true  then  it  devolves  upon  you  and 
upon  me  to  help  solve  that  question,  that  justice  may  be  done. 

We  have  with  us  this  morning  the  greatest  exponent  perhaps  of 
that  thought  today  in  the  civilized  world.  I  know  that  you  will  be  glad 
to  hear  from  him  upon  that  great  question  and.  upon  its  relation  to  the 
subject  under  discussion — Mr.  John  Mitchell.  (Applause.) 

Mr.  Mitchell's  address  will  be  found  on  page  185,  Part  II.,  of  this 
report. 

MR.  DANIELS:     I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Mitchell  a  question. 

DOCTOR  BUCKLEY:  May  I  make  an  announcement  first?  I  wish 
to  announce  that  the  Resolution  Committee  will  meet  at  this  time  in  the 
basement  of  this  building.  At  this  meeting  a  special  committee  will  .be 
appointed,  and  such  resolutions  as  have  already  been  introduced"  will  toe 
taken  up  and  considered.  I  wish  also  to  request  that  those  desiring  to 
introduce  resolutions  do  so  not  later. than  tomorrow  noon.  If  resolutions 
are  introduced  later  than  that  time,  there  is  a  liability  or  possibility 
that  they  cannot  receive  adequate  consideration  by  this  committee  or  by 
the  Congress.  Such  has  been  the  experience  at  previous  meetings, 

I  wish  also  to  request  that  you  be  as  careful  as  possible  in  framing 
these  resolutions.  A  great  many  errors  creep  in  which  tend  to  put  a 
different  construction  upon  resolutions  than  is  intended  by  the  person 
introducing  them,  so  kindly  be  cafeful  in  the  wording  and  construction 
of  these  resolutions. 

I  wish  also  to  announce  that  anyone  who  desires  to  be  heard  upon 
these  resolutions  should  notify  either  the  secretary  or  myself,  and  a  time 
will  be  set  when  you  may  be  heard  upon  any  resolution  before  the  Com- 
mittee on  Resolutions.  The  purpose  of  sending  these  resolutions  to  the 
Resolution  Committee  is  to  relieve  the  Congress  of  at  least  a  good  part 
of  the  discussion,  if  not  all  of  it,  and  thus  to  facilitate  business.  So  be 
kind  enough  to  notify  either  the  secretary  or  myself  if  you  desire  to  be 
heard  upon  resolutions  introduced  before  this  Congress. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  45 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Mitchell  if  he  can  give  us 
any  data  as  to  the  comparative  cause  of  explosions  in  coal  mines  from 
missed  shots  or  faulty  shots  or  from  other  causes. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Are  you  asking  the  question  of  Mr. 
Mitchell? 

MiR.  MITCHELL :     I  did  not  understand  the  question. 

MR.  DANIELS:  You  referred  to  the  cause  of  explosions  as  being 
very  largely  from  faulty  shots — what  you  call,  I  believe,  "blow-outs."  I 
want  to  ask  if  you  have  any  data  as  to  the  comparative  causes  of  ex- 
plosions from  that  and  other  causes. 

MR,  MITCHELL:  I  have  not  with  me  but  they  are  given  in  the  re- 
port of  the  Geological  Survey.  They  give  the  causes  of  them  all,  of  all 
deaths;  but  I  haven't  them  with  me. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     I  am  sure  if  this  Congress  accomplishes 
no  other  purpose  than  to  send  out  the  great  thoughts  that  have  been  sug- 
gested under  the  discussion  of  this  topic  this  morning,  our  time  has  been'      <' 
well  invested. 

I  have  the  pleasure  to  announce  that  Mr.  J.  V.  Thompson,  of  Union- 
town,  Pa.,  is  present  with  us,  and  will  speak  to  you  on  the  question,  "Tne 
Needs  for  Conservation  of  Our  Coal  Deposits." 

MR.  J.  V.  THOMPSON,  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  I  have  prepared  a 
paper  on  the  conservation  of  coal,  which  I  wish  to  have  read  by'  our  secre- 
tary, Mr.  Callbreath. 

Mr.  Thompson's  address  will  be  found  on  page  177,  Part  II.,  of  this 
report: 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  affords  me  pleasure  at  this  time  to 
simply  announce  that  we  have  present  with  us  Secretary  Garfield.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

HONORABLE   JAMES    R.    GARFIELD,    SECRETARY    OF    THE!   IN- 
TERIOR, WASHINGTON,  D.  C.:     I  shall  not  weary  the  Congress  at  this  . 
time  with  any  remarks.     I  am  very  glad  to  have  been  here  in  time  this       , 
morning  to  hear  some  of  these  discussions  on  the  question  of  conserva- 
tion of  resources  and  methods  for  greater  safety  in  the  mines.     I  shall 
take  occasion  this  afternoon  to  go  with  you  to  the  experiment  station 
which  the  government  has  started  in  this  city,  and  I  hope  that  we  may 
all  see  what  the  government  is  attempting  to  do  toward  the  accomplish- 
ment of  these  important  purposes. 

The  purpose  of  these  experiments  is  not  in  any  way,  as  I  think  you 
realize,  to  interfere  with  the  necessary  and  proper  activities  either  of 
individuals,  corporations,  or  the  state.  But  the  federal  government  de- 
sires to  be  in  active  co-operation  with  all  the  other  agencies  which  are 
studying  these  present  day  important  problems  of  mining.  The  field  is 
big  enough  for  us  all.  These  questions  are  not  bounded  by  state  lines, 
or  by  sections,  or  by  different  kinds  of  mineral  industry.  They  affect 
the  industrial  life  of  the  nation,  and  so  it  is  that  the  national  govern- 
ment has  started  on  the  investigation,  examination,  and  study,  in  a  scien- 
tific and  technical  way,  of  these'  questions,  which  you  gentlemen  are 
working  out  practically  in  the  mines. 

It  affords  me  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  to  have  met  during  the  last 
few  years  with  many  men  who  are  leaders  in  the  mining  industry,  those 
who  are  guiding  the  financial  side  of  it,  those  who  are  doing  the  active 
labor  in  the  development  of  the  mines.  It  is  by  such  conferences  as 
these  that  both  sides  are  able  to  express  their  views  frankly  and  fairly 
and  find  out  the  point  of  view  of  the  other  side,  to  the  end  that  we  may 
by  such  exchange  of  ideas  discover  the  wisest  and  best  methods  for 
action. 

I  was  very  much  impressed  with  one  remark  this  morning  in  regard 
to  the  need  of  immediate  action.  It  is  true  th<?se  are  oroblems  that  can- 
not be  postponed  with  safety  to  the  life  of  our  nation's  Industry.  They 
are  matters  of  such  pressing  importance  that  those  of  you  who  are  ac- 
tively engaged  in  the  development  of  these  industries  cannot  afford  to 


46  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

postpone  for  a  year  even  the  first  long  steps  that  must  be  taken  for  the 
improvement  in  conditions. 

The  questions  of  conservation  affect  not  merely  the  conservation  of 
the  material  resources,  but  they  affect  as  well  the  conservation  and  the 
preservation  of  the  lives  of  the  men  who  are  engaged  in  these  great  in- 
dustries. We  must  not  forget  that  in  the  development  of  society  the 
individual  constantly  loses  his  so-called  right  of  individual  action  and 
assumes  greater  obligations  towards  society  with  which  he  is  working. 
In'  other  words,  what  I  as  an  individual  may  seek  to  do  so  long  as  it 
affects  only  myself  is  quite  a  different  proposition  from  what  I  as  an  in- 
dividual have  assumed  as  obligations  upon  my  shoulders  when  I  am  in 
co-operation  with  my  fellow-men. 

And  it  is  this  sense  of  obligation  that  is  now  being  brought  home  to 
every  man  who  is  studying  the  industrial  life  of  our  nation.  Elach  one 
of  us,  whether  he  is  working  with  his  hands  or  working  with  his  head, 
has  assumed  obligations  that  cannot  be  fulfilled  by  the  clamor  for  sup- 
posed rights.  In  other  words,  we  must  recognize  that  with  the  growth 
of  society  the  individual  must  abandon  much  that  he  has  claimed  for 
merely  himself,  and  must  now  so  work  in  co-operation  with  others  that 
the  dangers,  hazards  and  risks  of  his  work,  too  great  for  the  individual 
to  bear  alone,  shall  be  fairly  borne  by  the  entire  community  or  industry. 

I  hope  that,  as  a  result  of  these  investigations,  and  of  your  confer- 
ences and  inquiries  here,  we  may  immediately  arrive  at  some  definite 
conclusions,  some  definite  line  of  action,  that  will  appeal  to  the  sound 
common-sense  of  the  legislators  of  our  state  and  nation,  so  that  they  can 
intelligently  make  such  changes  in  our  laws  and  regulations  and  methods 
of  mining  as  will  best  accomplish  what  you  here  may  determine  to  be 
the  right  steps  in  the  safest  and  wisest  development  of  this  industry. 
(Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  This  closes  the  program  that  was  placed 
;n  my  hand  for  this  morning.  I  now  await  your  further  pleasure.  The 
Secretary  has  some  resolutions  which  he  will  read: 

Secretary  Callbreath  read 

Resolution   No.  4. 

(Introduced  by  Col.  A.   G.  Brownlee,  of  Colorado.) 
Resolved,  That  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  American  Mining  Congress 
that  any  reduction  in  the  present  tariff  on  imported  ores  containing  lead 
will  render  a  hardship  upon  our  American  miners  and  will  certainly  re- 
sult in  a  disastrous  calamity  to  our  lead  industry,  and  be  it  further" 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  sent  to  the  Wjays  and 
Means  Committee  of  the  House  of  Representatives  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read 

Resolution  No.  5. 
(Introduced  by  George  J.  Bancroft,  of  Colorado.) 

Whereas,  By  the  frightful  disaster  in  the  coal  mine  at  Marianna,  Pa., 
whereby  152  miners  lost  their  lives  causing  desolation  in  scores  of  homes 
by  the  loss  of  the  bread-winners  within  them,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  American  Mining  Congress  is  deeply  grieved  at 
this  awful  disaster,  that  its  heartfelt  sympathy  goes  out.  to  those  who 
have  been  bereft,  and  that  it  is  cognizant  of  the  added  responsibility  en- 
gendered by  this  concurrence  in  its  endeavors  to  hasten  the  time  when 
such  accidents  will  be  impossible.  That  it  hereby  publicly  tenders  its 
sympathy  to  the  living  wh/>se  loved  ones  have  been  lost,  and  to  the  town 
whose  citizens  have  been  torn  away,  and  to  the  Pittsburgh-Buffalo  Com- 
pany whose  faithful  employees  were  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  duty. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  47 

Secretary  Callbreath  read 

Resolution   No.  6. 
(Introduced  by  George  J.  Bancroft,  of  Colorado.) 

Be  It  Resolved,  That  the  American  Mining  Congress  hereby  ex- 
presses to  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  its  appreciation  of  the  splendid 
work  it  is  doing  for  the  advancement  of  the  science  of  mining.  The 
topographical  maps  prepared  by  the  survey  are  most  accurate  and  ex- 
tremely useful.  The  geological  work  is  of  great  importance  to  the  miner 
of  metal,  coal  or  oil.  The  experimental  work  in  fuels  has  shown  great 
results  already  and  has  contributed  in  the  best  way  possible  toward 
conserving  the  natural  resources. 

That  the  work  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  should  be  continued 
and  augmented  and  that  adequate  appropriations  should  be  made  by 
Congress  for  continuing  its  work. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read 

Resolution  No.  7. 
(Introduced   by  David  B.  Rushmore  of  New  York.) 

Whereas,  the  use  of  electricity  in  mines  is  increasing  rapidly  and 
numerous  small  bodies  are  attempting  to  independently  standardize  the 
practise  regarding  its  use  and  as  this  subject  can  be  best  handled  by 
a  national  body  working  in  harmony  with  all  the  different  interests  con- 
cerned, therefore  be  it 

Recommended,  That  a  standing  committee  be  appointed  by  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  American  Miining  Congress  to  standardize  as  far  as  possible 
and  make  recommendations  concerning  electrical  practice  in  mining 
work,  said  committee  to  consist  of  seven  members,  as  follows,  viz:  one 
electrical  engineer,  two  representatives  of  the  manufacturers  of  electrical 
equipment,  two  representatives  of  the  labor  organizations  and  two  mine 
operators. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read 

Resolution  No.  8. 

(Introduced  by  David  B.  Rushmore,  of  New  York.) 

Whereas,  the  best  results  can  be  accomplished  in  any  given  line 
of  work  by  co-operation  between  the  different  parties  interested  in  such 
line  and 

Whereas,  it  is  possible  that  some  of  the  work  of  the  American  Min- 
ing Congress  can  be  better  effected  by  co-operation  with  the  American 
Institute  of  Mining  Engineers,  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  officers  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  be  in- 
structed to  invite  the  co-operation  of  the  American  Institute  of  Mining 
Engineers  to  the  end  that  a  larger  service  may  be  afforded  the  members 
of  both  organizations  and  the  public. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Are  there  any  further  suggestions  before 
we  adjourn?  If  not,  we  will  stand  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  Government. 
Experimental  Station  this  afternoon  promptly  at  2:00  o'clock. 

DOCTOR  J.  A.  HOLMES:  I  would  suggest  that  we  have  an  hour 
at  our  disposal  before  noon,  which  we  cannot  afford  to  spare.  We  are 
here  for  conference  and  discussion,  not  in  the  spirit  of  criticism,  but 
of  helpfulness.  We  all  need  that.  None  of  us  know  very  much  about 
these  great  problems  connected  with  mine  disasters,  and  there  is  only 
one  way  we  can  learn  anything,  only  one  way  in  which  we  can  formulate 
definite  and  wise  policies,  without  those  drastic  measures  which  would 
do  more  harm  in  the  long  run  than  they  would  do  good,  until  we  have 
the  information  upon  which  to  base  action. 

We  are  here,  and  I  sincerely  trust  that  these  gentlemen  who  know 
so  much  about  this  subject  will  in  a  friendly  way  take  advantage  of 


48  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

the  opportunity  and  help  in  the  discussion  to  bring  out  the  results  which 
we  all  want.  Let  us  feel  then  that  this  is  an  opportunity  and  that  a 
duty  is  upon  us  that  we  shall  discuss  these  things  to  help  arrive  at  the 
wise  course  to  be  pursued  in  connection  with  this  matter  in  the  future. 

While  I  am  on  my  feet  let  me  say  that  we  ought  to  adjourn  shortly 
after  12  o'clock  because  it  is  important  that  by  a  little  before  2:00  o'clock 
sharp  we  shall  be  inside  the  grounds  at  the  old  arsenal,  so  that  the 
inauguration  exercises  of  the  afternoon  may  begin  promptly.  But  we 
ought  not  to  lose  the  three-quarters  of  an  hour  intervening  before  the 
noon  hour,  when  there  is  much  which  we  all  want  to  learn  from  the 
gentlemen  here  who  have  had  the  actual  experience  in  mining  operations. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  As  suggested  by  Professor  Holmes,  we 
would  be  glad  to  hear  any  remarks  from  anyone  in  this  hall  at  this  time 

DR.  JAMES  DOUGLAS,  OF  NEW  YORK:  I  take  pleasure  in  cor- 
roborating Mr.  Mitchell's  estimate  as  to  the  cost  of  electric  firing.  Wie 
have  introduced  it,  after  some  opposition  from  our  miners,  in  five  of 
the  mines  of  the  Dawson  coal  fields,  and  it  costs  us  about  two  cents 
a  ton  more  than  the  old  method.  With  regard  to  the  general  cost  of 
coal,  I  agree  perfectly  with  Mr.  Mitchell  that  the  cost  is  low,  and  that 
certain  provisions  to  ensure  safety  can  only  be  made  through  an  increase 
in  its  cost  to  the  public.  One  such  method  undoubtedly  is  through  in- 
creasing the  number  of  bosses,  and  raising  their  qualifications,  both  of 
which  conditions  will  increase  the  cost  of  superintendence.  Taking  the 
mines  of  the  country  at  large,  we  cannot  expect  to  get  enough  thoroughly 
trained  miners,  and  even  if  we  could,  the  trained  miner  is  often  willing 
to  run  a  risk  which  the  inferior  miner  is  afraid  to  take.  The  number  of 
deaths  from  falling  roof  is  appalling,  and  in  almost  every  case  those 
are  duo  to  the  neglect  of  necessary  precaution.  I  know  as  a  fact  that  in 
several  instances  in  our  own  mines  the  foreman  has  distinctly  instructed 
the  miner  to  put  in  a  prop,  but  he  preferred  to  break  coal  instead  of 
obeying  an  order  looking  to  his  own  protection,  which  he  thought  un- 
necessary, and  fatal  results  followed.  When  dealing  with  that  class  of 
labor  the  foreman  ought  to  see  that  his  orders  are  absolutely  carried  out. 
Such  a  system  involves  an  increase  in  the  force  of  foremen,  and  therefore 
and  increase  in  the  cost  of  coal. 

Quite  apart,  however,  from  the  extra  cost  of  precautionary  measures 
to  ensure  safety,  the  cost  of  mining  must  inevitably  increase  as  we  pro- 
ceed further  from  the  outcrop.  Whoever  has  a  large  area  of  coal,  es- 
pecially when  there  is  a  sudden  demand,  cannot  resist  the  temptation  of 
starting  a  new  entry,  and  using  up  his  outcrop  coai.  This  expedient, 
however,  can  be  at  best  only  temporary;  and  therefore  the  cost  of  mining 
coal  is  bound  to  go  up  all  over  the  country,  and  the  public  has  to  pay 
the  increased  cost,  for  the  balance  between  cost  and  average  selling 
prices  is  as  low,  if  not  lower,  than  it  ought  to  be. 

As  I  remarked  yesterday  evening,  the  freight  rates  on  fuel  are  low 
in  comparison  with  the  rates  on  high-class  commodities.  A  rise  in  the 
rates  of  fuel  might  slightly  affect  certain  of  the  prominent  industries 
of  the  country,  but  they  can  stand  it,  but  even  if  their  fuel  and  the 
transportation  of  their  fuel  should  cost  the  large  manufacturing  interests 
a  little  more,  this  would  be  a  small  evil  compared  with  the  feeling  of 
antagonism  against  the  railroads  in  the  mind  of  the  public  at  large, 
which  originates  very  largely  in  high  "class"  rates  and  the  very  low 
rates  which  the  public  know  are  charged  on  commodities. 

There  are  a  great  many  other  phases  to  this  subject  which  one  cannot 
elucidate  in  a  few  cursory  remarks,  and  some  of  you  I  know  have  had 
a  great  deal  more  experience  than  I  have  had  in  both  railroading  and 
coal  mining.  But  during  my  somewhat  limited  experience  as  a  railroader 
and  during  my  still  shorter  experience  as  a  coal  miner,  these  are  the 
conclusions  I  have  come  to. 

Looking  back  over  the  last  two  or  three  years,  there  is  one  other 
conclusion  I  believe  we  must  all  have  come  to,  and  that  is  that  "booms," 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  49 

so  called,  are  extremely  expensive  and  extremely  dangerous.  It  can 
hardly  be  accidental  that  since  the  boom  burst  there  have  been  hardly 
any  railroad  accidents,  and  that  while  the  boom  was  in  full  swing  rail- 
road accidents  were  of  almost  daily  occurrence.  How  could  it  be  other- 
wise? The  traffic  of  the  country  nearly  doubled  up.  We  have  a  certain 
number  of  skilled  railroad  workmen.  They  were  not  able  to  handle  the 
increased  traffic,  and  therefore  firemen  had  to  be  promoted  to  be  engi- 
neers and  brakemen  had  to  be  made  into  conductors,  with  the  inevitable 
result  of  accident  after  accident.  That  was  the  cause  of  many  of  the 
accidents,  quite  apart  from  another  still  more  prevalent  cause,  which 
was  that  all  of  us,  whatever  position  we  occupied,  whether  we  were 
workmen  or  on  the  executive  staff,  were  all  more  or  less  demoralized. 
I  am  sure  that  we  ought  to  pray  that  another  boom  may  be  deferred  for 
just  as  long  as  heaven  will  be  willing  to  protect  us  from  such  a  disaster. 

MR.  J.  A.  SPRINGER,  OF  WEST  VIRGINIA:  I  desire  to  say,  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  miner  at  least,  that  there  have  been  some  state- 
ments made  relative  to  the  causes  of  explosions  that  I  citmot  afford  as 
a  miner  to  let  go  without  entering  my  challenge  or  procesr.  That  state- 
ment is  that  the  cause  of  the  terrible  explo-sions  that  we  have  had  is 
a  mystery  or  unknown.  I  am  not  sure  that  this  is  the  proper  time,  how- 
ever, to  offer  or  give  reasons  of  the  miner  for  these  explosions.  But  for 
the  statement  to  go  out  that  we  do  not  know  the  cause,  and  that  the 
cause  is  a  mystery,  I  for  one,  do  not  wish,  and  I  want  to  say  now  that  my 
deliberate  opinion  as  a  miner  is  that  the  cause  is  known,  and  that  cause 
is  the  dry  condition  of  the  mine.  For  one  I  am  convinced  of  that  fact. 
How  to  remedy  that  condition  is  another  question  altogether.  But  I 
am  fully  convinced  that  the  cause  of  explosions  in  our  state  is  and  has 
been  the  dry  condition  of  the  mine.  I  hope  it  will  be  the  pleasure  of 
those  men  who  have  in  charge  this  matter  to  bring  out  before  this  con- 
gress in  a  way  which  will  give  some  satisfaction,  the  cause  of  these 
explosions  and  the  remedy-to  be  applied. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Dr.  Holmes'  suggestion  has  proved  fruit- 
ful. We  have  a  little  more  time  yet,  if  you  wish  to  occupy  it. 

DR.  E.  W.  PARKER,  OF  WASHINGTON:  We  had  the  pleasure  of 
listening  last  night  to  Doctor  Douglas  and  also  this  morning  he  gave  us 
one  or  two  illustrations  of  mining  at  Dawson,  New  Mexico.  What  he 
said  last  night  and  this  morning  is  certainly  too  modest,  and  shows  Dr. 
Douglas'  rather  modest  disposition.  I  think  that  the  mine  operators 
of  Pennsylvania,  of  West  Virginia,  of  Illinois  and  of  other  states  could 
learn  a  great  deal  if  they  could  visit  the  mining  operations  at  Dawsou. 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  that  mine  only  a  few  weeks  ago.  The 
precautions  taken  there  for  the  safety  of  the  miners  are  certainly  about 
the  acme  in  the  United  States.  I  have  visited  coal  mine  operations 
throughout  every  state  in  the  union,  I  think,  and  I  have  not  zeen  any 
mines  so  well  equipped  for  the  safety  of  the  miners  as  the  plant  at  Daw- 
son.  As  Doctor  Douglas  has  already  stated,  the  shots  are  electrically 
fired.  They  are  not  fired  by  shot-firers  in  the  mines.  E^ery  miner,  every 
employe,  is  out  of  the  mine.  The  openings  are  closed  by  steel  gates,  and 
the  shots  are  fired  when  it  is  impossible  for  there  to  be  any  loss  of  life, 
as  the  result  of  the  firing  of  the  shot. 

I  should  also  like  to  state  in  regard  to  what  Mr.  Mitchell  has  already 
said,  that  I  corroborate  his  statement  that  our  coal  is  too  cheap.  We 
have  been  making  our  material  advancement,  of  which  we  are  so  proud, 
by  the  cheap  fuel  and  at  the  cost  of  human  life.  The  precautions  to  be 
taken  for  greater  safety  in  the  mines  can  only  be  taken  at  an  increased 
cost,  and  I,  as  a  consumer  of  coal,  would  be  willing  to  pay  my  share  for 
the  increased  cost  of  coal  mining  if  it  would  produce  the  desired  results. 
(Applause.) 

MR.  JOHN  H.  WALKER,  OF  ILLINOIS:  There  is  one.  point  that  has 
been  referred  to  a  good  many  times  this  morning  which  it  might  not 


50  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

be  out  of  the  way  for  me  to  give  you  our  experience  in  dealing  with, 
and  that  is  the  question  -of  cheap  coal.  You  will  recall  Mir.  Mitchell  said 
that  the  price  of  coal  to  the  large  consumers  should  be  increased;  with 
that  statement  I  wholly  agree.  As  a  member  of  the  miners'  organization 
we  have  found  that  there  is  danger  in  having  the  price  of  coal  generally 
increased,  when  there  is  a  systematic  method  used  for  the  purpose  of 
discrediting  the  work  of  those  who  are  making  it  necessary,  for  some 
humane  or  just  reason,  to  have  that  added  cost  put  on  the  price  of  coal. 

In  almost  every  instance  where  any  action,  at  least  of  the  organiza- 
tion, has  made  necessary  the  increase  of  the  price  of  coal  to  the  consumer, 
the  increase  has  been  made  to  the  general  public,  the  small  consumer, 
away  out  of  proportion  to  the  necessary  cost  for  the  employer  to  meet 
the  necessities  of  the  occasion.  That  is  to  say,  if  he  has  10  cents  a  ton 
added  to  the  cost  of  coal  production  there  will  be  practically  no  cost 
added  for  the  large  consumer  who  buys  it,  but  there  will  be  about  25 
or  30  cents  or  50  cents  added  for  the  small  consumer,  and  he  generally 
resents  that  sort  of  thing,  and  it  has  a  detrimental  effect,  at  least  as 
regards  the  men  who  are  making  that  increase  necessary  at  all.  We  have 
found  that  if  you  own  a  railroad  and  you  want  to  buy  a  half  million  tons 
of  coal  you  can  buy  it  for  anywhere  from  75  cents  to  $1.00  on  the  flat 
at  the  mine.  If  you  are  working  on  a  farm,  in  a  machine  shop,  on  the 
street,  as  a  laborer,  getting  $1.50  a  day  or  $4.00  or  $5.00  a  day,  it  will 
cost  you  $2.50  or  $3.00  a  ton  for  that  same  coal.  As  the  great  majority 
of  consumers  are  small  consumers,  and  public  sentiment  in  th:s  country 
is  created  by  the  great  majority,  who  are  the  small  consumers,  that 
action  has  the  result  of  creating  public  opinion  against  the  action  mak- 
ing necessary  that  increased  price.  In  the  work  of  the  Congress  I  think 
if  you  have  any  opponent  to  any  necessary,  humane,  protective  measures 
you  will  find  that  that  phase  of  it  will  be  used  to  the  detriment  of  the 
Congress  in  its  efforts  to  bring  about  such  reforms. 

There  is  one  other  phase  of  it  that  I  wish  to  point  out  at  this  time. 
The  certainties,  the  actual  conditions,  that  exist  can  be  taken  care  of  by 
a  systematic,  well-directed  organized  effort  either  on  the  part  of  the 
government  or  our  organization  or  both  combined.  The  uncertainties 
are  the  things  that  are  the  cause  of  most  troubles.  One  of  them,  faulty 
or  blown-out  shots,  has  been  a  large  element  in  bringing  about  the  ex- 
plosions in  the  recent  past.  If  you  can  put  yourself  in  the  place  of  a 
miner  at  the  face,  drilling  a  hole,  it  does  not  matter  very  much  what  the 
risks  are,  from  the  powder  not  being  able  to  do  the  work,  whether  it 
is  as  the  result  of  not  being  sufficient  powder,  or  whether  the  hole  was 
placed  in  a  way  that  the  shot  could  not  do  the  work,  the  result  will  be 
a  blownout  shot.  The  wrong  placing  of  the  shot  can  be  provided  for,  but 
if  you  have  been  accustomed  to  using  powder  of  a  certain  strength  and 
velocity  and  there  is  a  change  made  in  the  powder  without  your  knowing 
anything  about  it  whatever,  either  in  reducing  or  increasing  the  strength 
and  velocity,  there  is  an  uncertainty  that  every  miner  in  that  mine  has 
got  to  deal  with,  and  any  one  of  those  conditions  might  be  the  means  of 
blowing  that  mine  up.  In  these  -Javs  of  competition  it  is  immaterial  gen- 
erally to  the  operator  whether  he  makes  his  money  out  of  the  profits  in 
the  sale  of  coal,  or,  as  he  generally  sells  the  powder,  whether  he  makes 
his  profits  out  of  the  sale  of  the  powder.  Powder  manufacturers  in  their 
fierce  competition  with  .each  other  may  reduce  prices  and  give  inferior 
grades  of  powder,  and  make  it  attractive  to  the  operator  to  buy  those 
lower  grades,  and  that  has  prevailed  the  last  two  years  particularly,  so 
that  when  a  miner  gets  a  keg  of  powder  he  does  not  really  know  \vhat 
that  powder  is  going  to  do  when  he  starts  to  use  it  in  his  blasting.  This 
is  one  of  the  things  that  this  experimental  bureau  along  these  lines  can 
eliminate.  But  my  experience  indicates  that  they  will  have  to  deal  with 
the  question  by  legislation;  they  will  first  have  to  standardize  the 
powders,  create  a  formula  of  ingredients,  giving  the  strength  that  they 


AMERICAN   MINING   CONGRESS  51 

must  have,  and  by  law  compel  men  who  sell  powder  to  conform  to  those 
formulae  provided  by  statute.  (Applause.) 

MR.  J.  W.  DAWSON,  OF  WEST  VIRGINIA:  I  should  like  to  men- 
tion for  the  information  of  the  Congress  how  difficult  it  is,  under  some 
circumstances  at  least,  to  increase  the  price  of  coal  to  the  large  con- 
sumer. For  instance,  I  might  name  a  railroad,  which,  when  you  intend 
to  develop  a  piece  of  coal  property  tributary  to  it  and  before  they  furnish 
you  the  necessary  facilities,  requires  you  to  enter  into  a  contract  with 
that  railroad  to  furnish  them  at  least  one-third  of  your  product  for  their 
fuel  purposes  at  a  price  fixed  by  the  railroad.  Under  those  conditions  it 
will  be  rather  difficult,  of  course,  to  increase  the  price  of  coal  to  some 
of  the  large  consumers,  at  least. 

In  addition  to  that  I  have  often  heard  stated,  as  by  Mr.  Mitchell 
this  morning,  that  most  of  our  fatalities  in  the  mines  are  the  result  of 
inexperienced  miners.  If  we  increase  our  product  and  there  is,  as  we  all 
know,  little  or  no  surplus  of  experienced  miners,  I  should  be  glad  if  Mr. 
Mitchell  will  explain  to  us  what,  in  his  judgment,  is  the  most  practical 
method  of  instructing  inexperienced  miners,  so  they  will  be  experienced. 
(Applause.) 

MR.  MITCHELL:  There  is  a  sufficient  number  of  experienced  miners 
in  the  United  States  at  the  present  time  to  produce  all  the  coal  that  is 
required.  One-third  more  men  are  employed  as  miners  than  are  needed 
to  produce  the  amount  of  coal  we  consume.  That  additional  one-third, 
or  that  surplus  of  men,  are  the  inexperienced  men.  You  probably  do  not 
know  that  the  average  number  of  days  the  coal  mines  of  America  work  is 
only  about  200  annually,  and  that  the  men  are  idle  one-third  of  the  time; 
so  that  instead  of  employing  this  large  number  of  surplus  men,  if  the 
work  were  given  to  experienced  men,  they  could  produce  all  of  the  coal 
required,  and  work  one-third  more  time.  Of  course  I  understand  that  the 
natural  increase  in  the  number  of  miners — that  is  to  s'ay,  the  miners' 
sons  who  learn  to  mine  with  their  fathers  and  thus  become  experienced 
miners — has  not  been  sufficient  to  keep  up  with  the  vastly  increased  out- 
put of  coal  year  by  year,  so  that  the  mines  must  depend  upon  outside 
sources  for  some  of  their  labor.  But  there  could  be  a  system  of  apprent- 
iceship that  would  prevent  or  prohibit  responsibilities  being  given  to  the 
inexperienced  men,  who  probably  last  week  were  doing  farm-hand  labor 
some  place  in  continental  Europe.  For  instance,  in  the  state  of  Illinois 
under  the  present  law  an  inexperienced  man  must  first  be  employed  for 
a  period  of  two  years  as  a  company  day  laborer  or  he  must  work  under 
the  supervision  of  an  experienced  man  mining  coal,  before  he  is  qualified 
to  mine  upon  his  own  responsibility.  Of  course  these  accidents,  these 
great  disasters,  usually  occur  from  some  act  of  the  coal-miner.  A  day 
hand  rarely  causes  an  explosion  in  a  mine.  An  explosion  is  often  the 
result  of  a  blown-out  shot.  It  occurs  by  the  act  of  some  man  who  is  work- 
ing at  what  we  call  the  face  of  the  coal.  And  it  is  that  sort  of  accident, 
the  accident  that  comes  from  explosion,  that  the  employment  of  exper- 
ienced men  would  prevent.  (Applause.) 

MIR.  DAWSO'N:  I  do  not  quite  agree  with  Mr.  Mitchell  in  that  the 
employment  of  an  inexperienced  man  as  a  day  laborer  would  fit  him  for 
the  shooting  and  mining  of  coal  as  an  experienced  man.  The  reason  for 
asking  the  question  I  did  was  to  get  information  for  myself  and  others 
who  might  desire  it.  I  represent  the  organized  portion  of  West  Virginia. 
Now  that  state  has  been  frequently  referred  to  as  an  unorganized  state. 
It  is  against  the  spirit  if  not  against  the  rules  of  the  organized  men  for 
a  man  to  work  as  a  helper,  or  what  is  known  as  a  back-hand,  or  to  do 
a  piece  of  work  and  to  employ  others  to  help  him  to  do  it.  Wftth  those 
rules  in  effect  I  cannot  quite  grasp  how  we  are  going  to  train  inexperi- 
enced men  without  letting  them  go  in  a  room  by  themselves.  I  am  really 
anxious  to  get  that  information. 


52  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

MR.  CARL  SCHOLZ,  OF  ILLINOIS:  The  question  of  the  price  of 
coal  and  the  advance  thereof  is  one  of  competition,  which  is  largely 
regulated  by  the  question  of  supply  and  demand.  As  long  as  coal  mines 
can  be  developed  as  cheaply  as  they  can  in  this  country  we  cannot 
expect  to  have  a  system  of  operation  such  as  exists  in  Germany,  Belgium, 
France  and  other  places  referred  to  by  Mr.  Mitchell.  Anyone  who  has 
been  in  those  countries  and  is  familiar  with  the  method  of  mining  by 
that  class  of  people,  appreciates  that  the  conditions  they  are  working 
under  are  quite  different  from  ours.  We  have  the  question  of  farm  labor 
to  contend  with.  We  have  mines  in  Oklahoma  where  ten  to  twelve 
different  languages  are  spoken.  It  is  difficult  to  administer  discipline 
under  those  conditions;  whereas,  in  the  foreign  countries  usually  only 
one  language  is  spoken,  and  rarely  more  than  two  or  three. 

The  question  of  saving  lives  in  the  adoption  of  safety  measures  is 
one  which  goes  hand  in  hand  with  mining.  One  gentleman  a  while  ago 
stated  that  dust  is  one  of  the  great  causes  of  explosion.  I  think  he  is 
right.  Dust  is  largely  created  by  solid  shooting,  and  solid  shooting  has 
been  the  effect  of  a  lack  of  system;  therefore,  co-operation  of  the  miners 
with  the  operators  would  reduce  the  death  rate  in  the  mine. 

Mr.  Mitchell  stated  that  the  explosions  in  West  Virginia  are  due  to 
the  miners  at  the  face.  One  of  the  most  destructive  explosions  that  I 
know  of  occurred  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  when  it  must  have  been  due 
to  causes  other  than  shot-firing  or  the  miners.  I  have  been  carrying  on, 
in  behalf  of  our  company,  for  the  protection  of  our  property  and  for  the 
protection  of  our  men,  a  series  of  investigations,  ana  have  recently  con- 
cluded that  nothing  is  more  beneficial  than  the  introduction  of  water, 
in  the  shape  of  sprays. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  most  of  our  explosions  occur  in  November, 
December  and  January.  Therefore,  I  believe  that  it  behooves  us  to 
ascertain  the  conditions  which  exist  at  that  time.  The  very  same  mines 
which  explode  in  these  cold  months  seem  comparatively  safe,  or  are 
safe,  because  they  do  not  explode,  in  June,  July  and  August.  During  that 
period  of  the  year  it  is  noticed  that  there  is  a  heavy  deposit  of  sweat 
in  the  mine,  under  the  roof  and  walls,  and  the  coal  dust  is  fairly  moist. 
It  seems  to  me  that  what  we  have  to  do  is  to  ascertain  what  the  actual 
condition  is  of  the  atmosphere  which  enters  the  mine  at  that  time,  and 
try  to  bring  about  the  same  condition  in  the  winter.  It  has  been  stated 
that  the  introduction  of  water  in  a  mine  is  detrimental  to  the  health  of 
the  employee,  as  shown  by.  experience  in  England.  I  am  not  concerned 
about  conditions  that  exist  in  England.  I  am  confining  myself  to  the 
problems  that  we  have  to  solve  in-  this  country,  and  in  fact  I  know  from 
my  own  observation,  from  experience  that  I  have  had,  that  the  introduc- 
tion of  water  in  the  shape  of  sprays  cannot  be  carried  to  excess  with  the 
temperatures  existing  in  the  United  States,  or  in  any  of  the  miners  that 
I  have  visited,  and  I  think  I  have  been  in  nearly  all  of  them.  For  these 
reasons  I  cannot  recommend  too  highly  the  investigation  of  this  subject. 

I  have  prepared  several  papers  which  have  been  read  before  various 
interested  societies,  and  as  yet  I  have  to  hear  any  evidence  which  I 
cannot  contradict.  As  far  as  health  is  concerned,  our  office  buildings 
are  now  equipped  with  sprays  in  order  to  remove  the  dust  and  inject 
the  water  which  is  necessary  for  health  and  comfort.  As  far  as  the 
effect  on  the  roof  is  concerned  I  know  that  the  roof  of  the  mine  is  affected 
by  a  change  of  climatic  conditions,  the  change  from  wet  to  dry  causes 
the  roof  to  decay,  and  to  maintain  it  constantly  wet  or  constantly  dry 
removes  that  danger,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  dust  can  be  settled 
by  water  sprays,  and  I  cannot  urge  too  strongly  that  investigations  be 
made  at  the  experiment  stations  and  at  mines  during  the  safe  period  as 
well  as  during  the  danger  period.  (Applause.) 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  53 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  Resolution  No.  9  as  follows: 

Resolution  No.  9. 
(Introduced  by  Congressman  J.  G.  McHenry,  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Whereas,  Notwithstanding  the  ceaseless  efforts  upon  the  part  of 
mine  operators  to  equip  and  operate  their  mines  with  every  known 
modern  and  scientific  equipment  for  the  protection  of  their  employees 
and  property,  the  frightful  loss  of  life  to  mine  workers  continues  unabated. 

Whereas,  While  we  are  pursuing  our  scientific  investigations  for  the 
prevention  of  future  mine  accidents,  and  which  should  continue  without 
interruption,  and  an  earnest  effort  to  secure  uniform  and  effective  legis- 
lation, we  believe  that  some  steps  should  be  taken  to  alleviate  the  suffer- 
ing due  to  unavoidable  mine  accidents.  Therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  the  favorable  consideration  of  the 
legislatures  of  the  various  coal  mining  states,  that  a  tax  not  exceeding 
one  cent  per  ton  on  bituminous  coal  or  one  and  one-half  cents  per  ton 
on  anthracite  coal,  be  levied  and  collected  for  the  purpose  of  alleviating 
the  buffering  of  injured  miners  and  their  families. 

Resolved,  That  we  respectfully  request  the  governops  of  the  various 
coal  mining  states  to  urge  the  prompt  enactment  of  their  protective  leg- 
islation. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  the  governors 
of  the  coal  mining  states. 

Thereupon  an  adjournment  was  taken  until  2:00  o'clock  p.  m. 

THURSDAY,  DECEMBER  3,  1908. 
Afternoon   Session. 

FORMAL  OPENING  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT  STATION  FOR  INVESTI- 
GATION  OF  MINE  EXPLOSIONS. 

The  session  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  convened  at  the  gov- 
ernment arsenal  ground,  Fortieth  and  Butler  streets,  Pittsburg. 

HONORABLE  JAMES  R.  GARFIELD,  Secretary  of  the  Interior: 
Gentlemen:  As  you  know,  the  United  States  government  has  established 
this  station  for  the  purpose  of  beginning  this  great  work  of  experimenta- 
tion. You  here  in  Pittsburg  and  the  surrounding  district  are,  it  is  need- 
less to  say,  intensely  interested  in  this  kind  of  technical  and  scientific 
work.  We  fortunately  have  this  area  here,  owned  by  the  government, 
which  we  can  use  for  this  purpose. 

I  have  no  doubt  but  that  with  the  co-operation  of  the  War  Department 
we  will  be  able  to  extend  the  use  of  -this  ground  in  accordance  with  the 
needs  of  this  growing  service.  Just  how  that  may  be  accomplished  I 
do  not  now  know,  but  I  am  confident  from  the  conferences  I  have  had  with 
the  Secretary  of  War  we  will  find  no  difficulty  in  making  the r  best  use 
possible  of  this  ground,  which  is  so  well  adapted  for  these  purposes. 
I  wish  at  this  time  to  express  our  appreciation  of  the  hearty  co-operation 
which  all  of  you  gentlemen  engaged  in  the  mining  industry  have  given 
to  our  work  in  the  development  of  this  new  station. 

We  need  the  heartiest  kind  of  co-operation.  We  want  this  station 
here  to  be  used  by  all  those  who  are  interested  in  the  mining  industry, 
and  when  I  say  that,  I  mean  those  who  are  laboring  as  well  as  those  who 
own  the  mines.  We  can  only  accomplish  the  best  results  by  having  the 
earnest  and  intelligent  support  of  men  engaged  in  all  branches  of  the  min- 
ing industry. 

This  technical  work  more  than  ever  will  be  found  to  be  the  basis  of 
industrial  prosperity.  We  can  no  longer  in  competition  with  the  other 
nations  of  the  world  attempt  to  carry  on  any  great  industry  by  the  rule 
of  thumb.  We  must  know  the  facts.  We  must  understand  intelligently 
the  conditions  by  chemical  and  physical  analysis,  by  careful  and  pains- 
taking experiment;  we  must  find  out  what  the  conditions  are  under  which 


54  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

the  thousands  of  men  in  our  country  are  working,  and  it  is  for  that  pur- 
pose that  this  station,  starting  small,  will  become  one  of  the  great  experi- 
ment stations  of  the  world.  We  need  here  and  now  to  understand  that 
many  mistakes  will  be  made  in  the  early  days,  upon  which  criticism  will 
necessarily  follow,  but  I  ask  that  unfriendly  critici&m  be  withheld  until 
our  men  have  the  opportunity  of  finding  cut  what  the  problem  is,  and  how 
it  best  can  be  studied.  We  need  helpful  criticism  of  every  active  opera- 
tor, and  we  need  helpful  work  and  suggestion,  and  criticism  of  our  repre- 
sentatives in  Congress,  to  the  end  that  they  may  understand  that  these 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  which  have  been  appropriated,  and  the 
money  that  will  be  appropriated,  are  not  frittered  away  in  idle  experi- 
mentation, but  we  desire  to  make  every  dollar  count  for  some  practical 
good  in  the  development  of  the  mining  industry.  (Applause.)  And  so, 
my  friends,  I  simply  now  formally  declare  this  station  opened,  and  I  trust 
that  it  means  many  years  of  useful  endeavor  for  the  mining  industry. 
(Applause.) 

DR.  HOLMES:  I  introduce  Mr.  John  Mitchell— who  really  needs  no 
introduction.  (Applause.) 

MiR.  MITCHELL:  The  formal  opening  of  this  station  marks  an 
epoch  in  the  mining  history  of  this  country.  It  is  the  beginning  of  a  new 
day.  It  is  the  point  from  which  we  start  to  diminish  the  number  of  acci- 
dents in  the  coal-mining  industry.  It  is  my  hope  and  my  belief  that  from 
this  time  forward  the  country  shall  not  be  shocked  by  a  recurrence  of 
these  terrible  catastrophes  through  which  tnousands  of  men  are  hurled 
into  untimely  graves.  Gentlemen,  what  is  needed  to  supplement  this 
work  is  a  bureau  of  mines  at  Washington.  (Applause.)  And  if  we  who 
are  interested  in  the  preservation  of  human  life  will  give  our  aid,  I  feel 
confident  that  the  coming  Congress  will  pass  a  bill  creating  a  bureau  of 
mines,  under  whose  supervision  the  mining  industry  may  be  relieved  of 
accidents  and  death.  (Applause.) 

DR.  HOLMES:  I  now  introduce  Mr.  Dempster,  the  dean  of  the  coal 
operators  of  this  Congress. 

MR.  ALEXANDER  DEMPSTER,  OF  PENNSYLVANIA:  This  his- 
toric ground  that  was  once  made  sacred  in  the  preparation  of  war  ma- 
terials for  the  preservation  of  our  Union,  is  now  dedicated  and  conse- 
crated to  the  arts  of  peace,  (Applause)  and  not  for  the  killing  of  men, 
but  for  the  preservation  of  life.  There  are  no  persons  in  this  country  who 
are  more  interested  in  the  success  of  what  may  be  produced  here  than  are 
the  operators  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  the  Pittsburg  district.  So  far,  Mr. 
Secretary  Garfield,  as  the  operators  of  this  district  are  concerned,  you  will 
have  the  hearty  support  of  every  one.  It  is  said  that  "corporations  have 
no  souls,"  but  there  are  men  who  constitute  the  corporations  whose  feel- 
ings flow  in  the  channel  of  sympathy  for  the  suffering,  of  those  who  are 
bereaved  by  the  accidents  which  have  come.  And  I  would  say,  Mr.  Con- 
gressman Burke,  that  we  hope  to  be  in  communication  with  you  as  our 
channel  of  communication  with  the  government  whereby  we  may  express 
our  thoughts,  our  opinions  and  our  feelings,  and  if  necessary  we  will  give 
such  friendly  criticism  to  Brother  Holmes  and  his  coadjutors  at  every 
opportunity  as  we  deem  of  importance.  As  Secretary  Garfield  has  said, 
friendly  criticism,  criticism  in  sincerity,  criticism  with  the  aim  in  view  to 
bring  out  the  best  that  can  be  done,  will  be  given  by  the  operators  and  by 
all  those  who  are  really  in  sympathy  with  this  movement. 

Wlhen  those  foreign  lights  were  brought  over  here  from  Belgium, 
Great  Britain  and  Germany  by  our  government  and  came  to  Pittsburg, 
we  said  to  them  that  this  bureau  would  te  as  a  beacon  to  shine  from  any 
depths  of  the  earth  to  which  its  investigators  would  go  and  would  shed 
the  results  of  their  investigation,  and  the  light  of  intelligent  knowledge, 
throughout  this  country,  so  that  every  state  in  the  Union,  and  every  dis- 
trict that  operates  mines,  should  have  that  knowledge  and  that  informa- 
tion, and  then  the  operators  would  have  the  will  to  apply  it,  so  that  from 
now  on  it  depends  on  our  government  to  supply  the  information  which 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS 


55 


56  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

may  be  disseminated  throughout  this  country,  and  then  it  will  be  for  the 
operators  to  make  the  application  of  the  means  that  are  devised  and  dis- 
covered to  be  the  best  for  the  prevention  of  accidents.  For  the  welfare 
of  the  miners  of  this  district,  as  well  as  others  I  speak  for,  all  will  be 
interested  in  the  promotion  of  whatever  may  be  deemed  for  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  miners  in  their  employment. 

And  let  me  say,  in  this  work  there  should  be  no  antagonism  between 
labor  and  capital.  There  should  be  no  antagonism  between  the  miners, 
whom  Mr.  Mitchell  so  ably  represented  for  so  long;  but  instead  of  antag- 
onism, there  should  be  the  united  effort  to  go  forward  in  the  pathway  of 
duty  according  to  the  laws  of  supply  and  demand,  and  according  to  the 
laws  of  equal  rights  of  one  to  the  other.  We  should  go  on  in  that  har- 
mony of  feeling  and  in  that  channel  of  reciprocal  relationship  that  will 
put  the  United  States,  and  its  mining  interests,  away  ahead  of  the  world. 
(Applause.) 

DR.  HOLME'S:  *I  introduce  Honorable  James  Francis  Burke,  in 
whose  Congressional  district  this  station  is  located. 

MR.  BURKE:  Dr.  Holmes  and  Gentlemen:  I  want  to  say  with  ref- 
erence to  what  our  distinguished  friend  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  has 
just  adverted  to — that  this  district,  which  I  have  the  honor  to  represent 
in  the  American  Congress,  is  making  me  prouder  every  day  of  my  life. 
From  the  hour  I  entered  Congress  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  come 
home  and  see  many  new  buildings  erected  and  new  institutions  estab- 
lished in  the  district,  and  today  there  are  more  temples  of  art,  shrines  of 
religion  and  institutions  dedicated  to  the  development  of  science  being 
created  and  brought  to  perfection  in  this  district  than  in  any  other  Con- 
gressional district  in  the  whole  United  States.  (Applause.)  It  is  a  happy 
coincidence,  I  believe,  that  the  opening  of  this  institution  here  today,  its 
formal  dedication  at  the  hands  of  Secretary  Garfield,  should  take  place 
at  a  time  when  men  engaged  in  a  great  scientific  work  and  a  great  indus- 
try all  over  the  republic  are  assembled  here  in  Western  Pennsylvania. 

But  there  is  a  great  piece  of  work  still  to  be  done.  It  cannot  be  ac- 
complished with  ease;  that  which  has  already  been  done  has  not  been 
wrought  without  encountering  the  usual  amount  of  criticism.  There 
never  was  a  great  movement  instituted  in  the  world's  history  that  did  not 
meet  with  its  adversities  as  it  traveled  along  its  pathway,  and,  gentlemen, 
I  want  to  say  to  the  members  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  when 
they  go  back  to  the  various  states  whence  they  came,  that  they  should 
say  to  the  representatives  from  those  states  in  the  American  Congress 
that  it  is  their  duty  to  insist  upon  encouraging  the  men  engaged  in  this 
work  and  in  the  development  of  this  great  enterprise. 

As  my  friend  Mr.  Dempster  has  said,  this  tract  upon  which  you  stand 
today  was  dedicated  to  the  arts  of  war.  It  has  been  controlled  and  is 
today  properly  under  the  control  of  the  War  Department  of  the  United 
States  government,  but  I  say  to  you  as  a  member  of  the  Committee  on 
Military  Affairs  of  the  American  Congress  that  while  I  do  not  blame  the 
War  Department  for  clinging  with  the  tenacity  that  characterizes  every 
other  department  to  anything  that  it  has,  (laughter).  In  this  particular  case 
my  loyalty  to  the  War  Department  is  going  to  be  made  secondary  to  my 
loyalty  to  the  Department  of  the  Interior  in  the  promotion  of  this  enter- 
prise. (Applause.)  And  I  say  that  without  any  fear  of  working  any 
detriment  to  the  federal  government,  because  I  believe  now  that  the  dedi- 
cation of  this  tract  to  the  development  of  the  science  and  the  perfection 
of  the  work  of  this  department  of  the  government  will  be  of  far  greater 
importance  to  this  country  and  to  the  world  than  that  it  should  remain 
dedicated  to  and  be  utilized  for  the  original  purposes  of  the  War  Depart- 
ment. 

In  order  to  accomplish  the  desired  result  legislation  will  be  required, 
and  over  that  legislation  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs  of  the  Con- 
gress of  the  United  States  will  have  primary  jurisdiction  at  least  by  refer- 
ence to  it,  and  I  say  with  confidence  in  the  intelligence  and  the  patriotism 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS 


58  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

of  my  fellow-members  on  that  committee,  that  anything  that  they  can  do, 
I  believe,  will  be  willingly  and  promptly  done  by  them  during  the  coming 
session  of  the  American  Congress.  (Applause.)  And  once  that  is  done, 
you  will  have  an  institution  here  to  which  pilgrims  from  the  whole  wide 
world  will  come,  as  we  have  pointed  the  pathway  today.  All  roads  lead 
to  the  arsenal,  and  all  roads  hereafter  will  lead  hither  the  men  engaged 
in  the  development  of  this  science  and  the  ascertainment  of  the  facts 
that  have  so  much  to  do  with  the  work  in  which  you  are  engaged.  Be- 
cause of  all  this;  because  of  the  prospects  and  because  of  the  reality  I 
see  before  me,  I  again  repeat,  that  I  hope  my  friend,  Mr.  Mitchell,  and 
all  these  other  gentlemen  here,  and  especially  my  friend  Senator  Dick, 
who  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  capitol  of  the  United  States  (and  some- 
times a  Senator  has  a  little  influence — my  friend  Senator  Dick  having 
derived  his  because  he  used  to  be  a  member  of  the  House)  will  exercise 
their  influence  in  lining  up  the  members  of  both  Houses  in  bringing 
about  the  proper  and  permanent  establishment  of  the  institution  which 
we  all  have  in  mind  today,  a  Bureau  of  Mtines  and  Mining  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Interior  of  the  United  States. 

DR.  HOLMES:  At  the  meeting  of  the  American  Mining  Congress 
tomorrow  morning,  Senator  Dick  will  reply  to  the  address  just  given  you. 
I  see  before  me  a  great  many  persons  who  have  been  foremost  in  leading 
this  great  movement,  such  as  Mr.  Englebright,  of  California,  and  others 
whom  I  know  you  would  like  to  hear,  but  this  platform  on  which  we  stand 
has  explosives  under  it  that  are  reached  by  clockwork,  and  I  arn  told  by 
my  associates  that  exactly  at  2:30- o'clock,  which  is  only  a  half  minute 
off,  the  performance  underneath  will  begin! 

All  of  you  have  been  handed  programs  as  you  entered  the  grounds, 
and  you  will  find  on  the  program  a  list  of  tests  which  will  be  made  here 
today. 

(During  the  afternoon,  a  series  of  informal  tests  was  made  at  the 
explosives  testing  station,  showing  conclusively  that  coal  dust  was 
highly  explosive.  Tests  were  also  made  showing  the  disruptive  force  of 
various  powders  used  in  blasting.) 

THURSDAY,   DECEMBER  3,  1909. 
Evening  Session,  8:30  O'Clock. 

Meeting  was   called   to  order   by   Yice-President  Dr.   E.   R.   Buckley. 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  introduce  to 
you  this  evening  the  Hon.  James  R,  Garfield,  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 
(Applause.)  Mr.  Garfields  address  will  be  found  on  page  88,  Part  II.,  of 
this  report. 

MR,  W.  F.  R.  MILLS,  O'F  COLORADO:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  think  it  is 
proper,  and  I  move  that  a  special  vote  of  thanks  be  tendered  to  the  Hon- 
orable James  R.  Garfield  for  his  address  this  evening. 

This  motion  was  seconded  and  unanimously  carried  by  rising  vote. 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:  Please  give  attention.  The  secretary  has 
a  resolution  which  has  been  introduced  into  the  Congress.  With  your 
permission  we  will  dispense  with  the  reading  of  it  and  return  it  to  the 
secretary  to  be  transmitted  to  the  Resolutions  Committee. 

There  being  no  objection  it  was  so  ordered. 

CHAIRMIAN  BUCKLEY:  I  take  great  pleasure  in  calling  upon  Judge 
Buffmgton  to  address  the  members  and  delegates  to  this  American  Mining 
Congress  and  their  guests  here  this  evening.  (Applause.) 

Judge  Buffmgton's  address  will  be  found  on  page  251,  Part  II.,  of  this 
report. 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:  I  have  had  the  pleasure  at  several  ses- 
sions of  the  American  Mining  Congress  of  introducing  the  next  speaker, 
and  I  have  always  wished  that  I  was  sufficiently  gifted  to  properly  eulo- 
gize the  great  service  which  he  has  rendered  the  mining  fraternity  of  this 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  59 

country.  I  think  no  member  of  the  American  Mining  Congress,  no  man 
who  has  taken  any  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  mining  industry  of  this 
country,  has  devoted  so  much  of  his  time,  so  much  of  his  energy,  and  so 
much  of  his  good  thought  to  bring  about  the  important  results  which 
are  now  being  accomplished  by  this  organization. 

I  take  great  pleasure,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  in  introducing  to  you  our 
esteemed,  and  I  may  say  our  beloved,  president,  the  Honorable  J.  H. 
Richards,  of  Idaho. 

Judge  Richard's  address  will  be  found  on  page  7,  Part  II.,  of  this 
report. 

Thereupon  the  evening  session  adjourned  and  the  delegates  repaired 
to  the  banquet  hall,  and  enjoyed  the  reception  tendered  by  the  Pittsburgh 
Reception  Committee. 

FRIDAY,  DECEMBER  4,  1908. 
Forenoon  Session. 

The  Congress  was  called  to  order  by  President  Richards. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Are  there  any  resolutions  which  it  is  de- 
sired to  introduce  at  this  time?  The  secretary  will  read  what  he  has  on 
the  desk. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  resolutions  as  follows: 

Resolution    No.    10. 

(Introduced  by  George  Max  Esterly,  of  Alaska.) 

Whereas,  This  Congress  has  been  informed  that  location  of  coal 
claims  in  Alaska  under  an  Act  of  Congress,  entitled,  "An  Act  to  encour- 
age the  development  of  coal  deposits  in  the  Territory  of  Alaska,"  ap- 
proved May  28,  1908,  having  made  every  effort  to  comply  with  the  re- 
quirements of  this  statute,  have  been  unable  to  secure  title  to  their 
claims,  and 

Whereas,  Owing  the  the  ambiguous  provision  of  Section  3  of  said 
Act  wherein  the  titles  to  the  land  covered  by  said  claim,  taken  under  the 
said  Act,  are  liable  to  forfeiture  to  the  United  States  if  any  of  the  pro- 
visions of  said  section  are  violated;  it  has  been  found  impossible  to  secure 
capital  to  develop  the  coal  fields,  and 

Whereas,  Under  the  "Coal-land  Laws  and  Regulations  Thereunder," 
General  Land  Office,  July  11,  1908,  this  point  is  emphasized  on  page  No. 
22,  in  dealing  with  said  Section  3  as  follows: 

Inasmuch,  As  Section  3  deals  exclusively  with  such  coal  lands  or  de- 
posits as  shall  have  been  purchased  under  this  act,  its  interpretation 
seems  more  properly  to  fall  within  the  province  of  the  Department  of 
Justice,  and  it  is  deemed  inadvisable  for  this  department  to  attempt  at 
this  time  to  define  its  provisions,  and 

Whereas,  This  Congress  deems  it  of  the  highest  importance,  not  only 
for  the  Territory  of  Alaska,  but  also  for  the  entire  Pacific  Coast,  that 
these  valuable  coal  deposits  should  be  opened  up  without  delay.  Now, 
therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  American  Mining  Congress  in  this  eleventh  an- 
nual convention  assembled  does  earnestly  recommend: 

First.  That  the  granting  of  patents  to  coal  lands  under  said  act  be 
expedited. 

Second.  That  said  act  should  be  revised  so  that  difficulties  and  de- 
lays in  obtaining  proper  titles  to  such  coal  lands  by  citizens  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  Alaska  who  are  desirous  of  developing  the  country  be  reduced  to 
a  minimum  as  far  as  is  consistent  with  proper  safeguards  against  fraud. 

And  Be  It  Further  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  for- 
warded to  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  the  Senate  and  the 
House  Committees  on  Public  Lands,  United  States  Congress. 


60  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Resolution  No.  11. 

(Introduced  by  H.  Baumann,  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Whereas,  In  the  firing  of  shots  in  coal  mines  many  accidents  are 
caused  by  gas  and  dust  explosions,  premature  shots  and  hung  shots,  and 

Whereas,  It  is  believed  that  many  of  these  accidents  could  be  avoided 
by  electric  firing;  now,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  legislatures  of  the  several  coal  mining  states 
should  be  urged  to  enact  such  legislation  as  will  require  that  in  all  gas- 
eous coal  mines,  all  shots  shall  be  fired  by  electricity. 

Resolution  No.  12. 

(Introduced  by  T.  Wilson  Henderson,  of  Pennsylvania  and  M.  Duffy,  of 

Oklahoma.) 

Whereas,  The  American  Mining  Congress  has  affiliated  itself  with  the 
TT.  S.  Geological  Survey,  and 

Whereas,  The  Congress  assisted  in  the  dedication  of  the  said  testing 
appliances,  and 

Whereas,  It  is  desirous  to  continue  the  close  relationship  now  exist- 
ing; be  it,  therefore 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to  act  in  conjunction  with 
the  U.  S.  Geological  Surveyors  in  demonstrating  the  different  systems  of 
ventilation  and  extraction  of  coal  dust  and  gases  from  the  mines. 

Resolution  No.  13. 
(Introduced  by  Wm.  P.  Daniels,  of  Colorado.) 

Whereas,  The  American  Mining  Congress  has  placed  itself  upon 
record  as  opposed  to  fraud  and  deception  in  the  promotion  and  sale  of 
stocks  in  mining  and  other  corporations,  and 

Whereas,  Prevention  of  fraud  is  much  preferable  to  punishment  after 
has  been  and  is  a  practical  failure,  by  reason  of  the  difficulty  of  showing 
fraudulent  intent,  and 

Whereas,  The  prevention  of  deception  and  fraud  by  punitive  legislation 
it  has  been  committed  and  it  is  the  opinion  of  this  Congress  that  proper 
publicity  would  deprive  Che  fake  promoter  of  the  opportunity  for  fraud 
and  deception  that  exist  under  present,  laws  and  would  save  to  the  in- 
vestor the  large  amount  of  which  he  is  continually  being  defrauded  by 
the  concealment  of  facts  of  which  he  should  be  informed;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  By  thu.  eleventh  annual  session  of  the  American  Mining 
Congress,  that  we  indorse  and  approve  the  bill  herewith  and  urge  its 
adoption,  with  such  Changes  as  may  make  it  applicable  in  the  different 
states. 

A  Bill  for  an  Act  in  Relation  to  Corporations. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of 

Section  1.  Whenever  full  paid  stock  is  issued  for  property  by  any 
corporation,  doing  business  in  this  state,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  presi- 
dent and  secretary  of  any  such  corporation,  within  ten  days,  from  date 
of  the  issuance  of  such  full  paid  stock,  to  file,  or  cause  to  be  filed,  in  the 
office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  a  description  of  the  property  transferred 
to  the  corporation  for  such  stock,  with  the  name  or  names  of  the  person 
or  persons,  or  of  the  corporation  from  whom  purchased,  the  number  of 
shares  of  stock  issued  to  each  of  such  persons  if  the  property  be  trans- 
ferred from  individuals,  and  if  known  to  such  president  or  secretary,  the 
actual  amount  paid  by  the  person  or  persons  or  the  corporation  so  trans- 
ferring said  property  to  the  corporation  purchasing  the  same  for  such 
full  paid  stock,  and  if  not  known,  such  statement  shall  so  state,  and  if 
any  portion  of  the  stock  so  issued  in  payment  for  property  is  donated  to 
the  corporation  issuing  it,  such  statement  shall  show  the  amount  of  stock 
so  donated.  Such  statement  shall  be  verified  by  the  president  and  secre- 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  61 

tary  of  the  corporation,  and  with  a  certificate  of  its  filing  in  the  office  of 
the  Secretary  of  State  shall  be  published  in  any  general  prospectus  issued 
by  such  corporation. 

Section  2.  Every  stock  certificate  issued  by  any  corporation  which  Is 
not  for  stock  sold  by  the  corporation  all  the  proceeds  of  which  go  into 
the  corporate  treasury,  shall  have  printed  or  stamped  across  the  face  of 
such  certificate,  with  ink,  the  color  of  which  is  conspicuously  different 
from  that  with  which  the  body  of  such  certificate  is  printed,  and  in  letters 
not  smaller  than  those  printed  from  12  point  type,  the  words,  "This  cer- 
tificate is  a  transfer  of  ownership  of  the  stock  represented  by  it  and  not 
a  sale  by  the  company." 

Section  3.  Before  any  foreign  corporation  shall  be  authorized  to  do 
business  in  this  state,  in  addition  to  the  requirements  of  any  existing  law, 
it  shall  make  and  file  with  the  Secretary  of  State,  a  certificate  signed 
and  verified  by  its  president  and  secretary,  which  shall  show  what  pro- 
portion of  its  capital  stock  has  been  paid  for  in  money  and  what  propor- 
tion has  been  paid  for  in  real  or  personal  property,  labor  or  thing  of 
value  other  than  money,  the  price  per  share  at  which  such  stock  issued 
in  payment  for  property  was  sold,  with  a  description  of  such  property 
with  the  name  or  names  of  the  person  or  persons,  or  corporation,  from 
whom  purchased;  the  number  of  shares  issued  to  each  of  such  persons 
if  the  property  be  purchased  from  individuals,  and  if  known  to  such  presi- 
dent or  secretary,  the  actual  amount  paid  by  such  person  or  persons  or 
corporation,  from  whom  such  property  was  purchased;  and  if  not  known, 
the  certificate  shall  so  state.  If  any  portion  of  such  stock  issued  in  pay- 
ment for  property  is  donated,  to  the  corporation  issuing  it,  such  certificate 
shall  show  the  amount  so  donated.  Such  certificate  with  a  certificate  of 
its  filing  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  shall  be  published  in  any 
general  prospectus  issued  by  such  corporation.  Any  foreign  corporation 
failing  to  comply  with  all  of  the  provisions  of  this  act,  after  being  author- 
ized to  do  business  in  this  state  shall  forfeit  such  authority  in  addition 
to  the  penalities  hereinafter  provided. 

Section  4.  The  Secretary  of  State  shall  be  entitled  to  a  fee  of  one 
dollar  for  filing  any  statement  or  certificate  required  by  this  act. 

Section  5.  Any  officer  of  any  corporation  failing  to  comply  with  the 
provisions  of  this  act,  or  wilfully  certifying  any  false  statement  in  any 
statement  or  certificate  required  by  this  act,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a 
misdemeanor  and  upon  conviction  thereof  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  of 
not  less  than  one  hundred,  nor  more  than  one  thousand  dollars,  or  by  im- 
prisonment in  the  county  jail  for  not  less  than  thirty  days  nor  more  than 
one  year,  or  by  both  such  fine  and  imprisonment. 

Section  6.  Where  the  capital  stock  of  any  corporation  doing  busi- 
ness in  the  State  of is  sold  by  any  officer,  director  or 

other  agent  or  promoter  of  any  such  corporation  to  any  purchaser  thereof 
for  a  cash  consideration  without  a  compliance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act 
in  reference  thereto,  an  action  may  be  maintained  in  any  court  having 
jurisdiction  in  this  state  for  the  purchase  price  of  such  stock,  and  proof 
of  the  failure  to  comply  with  this  act  on  the  part  of  any  officer,  director 
or  other  promoter  of  any  such  corporation  shall  be  prima  facie  evidence 
of  fraud  in  the  sale  of  such  stock. 

Section  7.  Any  law  or  part  of  law  in  conflict  herewith  is  hereby  re- 
pealed. 

Resolution   No.  14. 

(Introduced  by  J.  W.  Dawson,  of  West  Virginia.) 

Whereas,  The  interest  in  or  control  of  mines  by  railroad  companies 
gives  to  the  mine  so  owned  or  controlled  such  undue  advantage  over  inde- 
pendent mines  that  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  for  such  independent  mines 
to  be  operated  with  sufficient  profit  to  enable  them  to  conserve  the  min- 
eral resources  of  the  country  and  to  properly  safeguard  the  lives  of  em- 
ployees; therefore,  be  it 


62  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Resolved,  That  we  hereby  urge  upon  the  federal  government,  the 
great  importance  of  enforcing  the  "Commodities  Clause"  of  the  Hepburn 
Bill,  and  in  the  event  of  that  law  being  declared  unconstitutional,  we 
earnestly  urge  the  passage  by  our  national  Congress  at  Washington  of  a 
law  that  will  give  the  relief  sought  by  the  commodities  clause  of  the  Hep- 
burn Bill.  And  the  secretary  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  is  hereby 
instructed  to  forward  a  copy  of  this  resolution  to  each  member  of  the 
national  Congress. 

Resolution   No.  15. 

(Introduced  by  David  Ross,  of  Illinois.) 

Whereas,  While  it  is  possible,  through  the  exercise  of  greater  care 
and  ability  in  the  management  of  mining  properties  to  very  greatly  reduce 
the  number  of  fatal  and  non-fatal  accidents,  it  is  unreasonable  to  hope 
that  they  can  be  entirely  eliminated.  In  view  of  the  unpreventable  char- 
acter of  many  accidents,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  Congress  that  our  laws,  and 
trade  agreements  where  they  exist,  should  provide  some  plan  of  adequate 
compensation  to  be  allowed  those  receiving  injuries  and  in  the  case  of 
fatal  accidents  those  sustaining  direct  loss  in  consequence  of  such  cas- 
ualties. 

Chairman  Buckley:  We  will  now  listen  to  the  report  of  the  Creden- 
tials Committee. 

Report  of  Credentials  Committee  made  as  follows: 

Carnegie  Hall,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  December  4,  1908. 
To  the  Eleventh  Annual  Session  of  the  American  Mining  Congress: 

Your  Committee  on  Credentials  respectfully  presents  the  follow- 
ing report  of  the  attendance  at  this  Congress.  The  register  indicates 
a  representation  from  thirty-six  states  and  the  province  of  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, as  follows: 

Alabama 1 

Alaska 4 

Arizona     3 

Arkansas    4 

California     5 

Colorado     19 

Delaware    2 

District   of   Columbia 8 

Florida     1 

Georgia     • 1 

Idaho    8 

Illinois      17 

Indiana     4 

Iowa 2 

Kansas 1 

Kentucky 4 

Massachusetts    1 

Maryland    6 

Michigan    1 

Missouri 13 

Montana 1 

Nevada  2 

New  jersey    3 

New  York    13 

North   Carolina    1 

Ohio    41 

Oklahoma     6 

Ontario,   Canada    2 

Oregon   

Pennsylvania 295 

South   Dakota    2 

Texas    2 

Utah 6 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  63 

Washington    1 

West  Virginia 33 

Wisconsin     3 

WTyoming    1 

Virginia    1 

Respectfully  submitted, 

JAS.   W.   WARDROP,   Chairman, 

E.  J.  WALTERS, 

JAS.  W.  MALCOLMSON. 


LIST    OF    DELEGATES. 

ALABAMA. 
(Joxe,  Edward  H Birmingham 

ALASKA. 

Bratnober,   Henry    Cordova 

Esterly,  George  M Valdez 

Koonce,  M.  E Rampart 

Steele,  J.  L Landlock 

ARIZONA. 

Clark,  Mrs.  W.  L Jerome 

Clark,  W.  L Jerome 

Jacobson,  A.  E Safford 

ARKANSAS. 

Buie,  Henry  T Buffalo 

Estes,  A.  W Yellville 

Hand,  J.  H Yellville 

Purdue,  A.  H Fayetteville 

CALIFORNIA. 

Clark,  J.  Ross Los  Angeles 

Englebright,  W.  F Nevada  City 

Mendenhall,  W.   C . Los  Angeles 

Rickard,  Edgar San  Francisco 

Wright,  M.  P Los  Angeles 

COLORADO. 

Alderson,  V.  C Golden 

Bancroft,  Geo.  J Denver 

Brownlee,  A.  G Denver 

Callbreath,  J.  F Denver 

uargo,  L.  M Denver 

cotton,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Jr Denver 

Cotton,  C.  E.  Jr Denver 

ualzell,  T.  J Denver 

Daniels,  WTm.  P Denver 

Howbert,  Wm.  I Colorado  Springs 

Kane,  Harry  WT Central  City 

Kimball,  Geo.  K Idaho  Springs 

Mills,  W.  F.  R Denver 

Rogers,  A.  A Denver 

Sellner,  S Buena  Vista 

Stewart,  T.  W Central  City 

Suter,  G.  B Denver 

Thompson,  H.  L Denver 

Wood,  John  R Denver 

DELAWARE. 

Coyne,  William    Wilmington 

Reese,  Chas.  L Wilmington 


64  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

FLORIDA. 
Clapp,  F.  C. Tallehasse 

GEORGIA. 
Thomson,   Meldrim Savannah 

IDAHO. 

Atwood,  E.  C Hailey 

Henry,  H «.  .  .  .  Boise 

Meggett,  A.  A Boise 

Platt,  B.  C Boise 

Richards,  J.  H .  Boise 

Rockwell,  Irvin  E Bellevue 

Stevens,  A.  F Silver  City 

Walters,  E.  J Boise 

ILLINOIS. 

Bain,  H.  Foster Urbana 

Ross,    David Springfield 

DeWolf ,  Frank  W Urbana 

Ede,  J.  A La  Salle 

Gates,  Philetus  W Chicago 

Goodsell,  B.  W Chicago 

Goss,  W.  F.  M * Champaign 

Greene,  L.  A Chicago 

Holman,  J.  W Chicago 

Hunt,  R.  W Chicago 

Moses,  Tom Westville 

Ryan,   W.    D Springfield 

Scholz,   Carl    -. Chicago 

Sisley,  Lyman  A Chicago 

Skinner,  M.  B Chicago 

Traer,  G.  W Chicago 

Walker,  J.  H Danville 

INDIANA. 

Chaney,  John  C Sullivan 

Lynch,  John  F 

Massie,  J.  G Terre  Haute 

McFadyen,  John  M Indianapolis 

IOWA. 

Calvin,  Samuel Iowa  City 

Levy,  Ben.  J Sioux  City 

KANSAS. 
Haworth,  Erasmus Lawrence 

KENTUCKY. 

Kemp,  Geo.  B Middlesboro 

Norwood,  C.  J Lexingto-n 

Rule,  John Earlington 

Von  Borries,  H.  J .  . Louisville 

MASSACHUSETTS. 
Mitchell,  Donald  D Great  Barrington 

MARYLAND. 

Dobbs,   Albert   E Lonaconing 

Donahue,  John  H Frostburg 

Drumm,   F.    J Frostburg 

Hawkins,    Fred.   D Baltimore 

Smith,   C.   H Baltimore 

Somerville,  R.   L Lonaconing 

MICHIGAN. 
Stanton,   F.   M Atlantic   Mine 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  65 

MONTANA. 
Bowman,  C.  H Butte 

MISSOURI. 

Buehler,   H.   A Rolla 

Burton,  P.  E Joplin 

Culbertson,  Jerry Kansas  City 

Gregg,  H.  H Joplin 

Gregory,  Clay Joplin 

Grimm,  C.  B Webb  City 

Kirby,  E.  B St.  Louis 

Malcolmson,  James  W Kansas  City 

Maury,   Geo.   P Joplin 

Royce,  W.  K Rich  Hill 

Thulin,  Arthur St.  Louis 

Vossler,  E.  M St.  Louis 

Young,  Lewis Rolla 

NEVADA. 

Hutchinson,  J.  H Goldfield 

Luce,  Ben  D Reno 

NORTH  CAROLINA. 
Hewitt,  Frank  R Asheville 

NEW  JERSEY. 

Brown,    John Passaic 

Cito,    Cormillo,    C Newark 

Kummel,  Henry  B Trenton 

NEW  YORK. 

Engelhard,  Charles New  York  City 

Gessler,  Theo.  A New  York  City 

Hale,  H.  P New  York  City 

House,  H.  E White  Plains 

Ingalls,  W.  R New  York  City 

McKay,  Geo.  F New  York  City 

Morse,  A.  G Elmira 

North,  Chas.  J Buffalo 

Pearce,  G.  W New  York  City 

Robinson,  D.  C Howe  Cave 

Rushmore,  David  B Schenectady 

Wagner,  John  L Syracuse 

Von  Gerichlen,  Wm.  H New  York  City 

OHIO. 

Attleck,    William Cambridge 

Ay ter,  J.  C Athens 

Brown,   George Columbus 

Cassingham,  J.  W .  Coshocton 

Fulton,    H.    F Cleveland 

Green,    William Columbus 

Harrigan,   P.   J Steubenville 

Harrison,  Geo Columbus 

Hornickel,   Lute    Cleveland 

House,  W.  B Oberlin 

Huddy,  T.  H Bellaire 

Jenkins,   Lot Bellaire 

Johnson,  J.  F Bellaire 

Jones,   Ebenezer Martins    Ferry 

Kennedy,  Edw Land  Run 

Lace,  E.  H Nef f 

Lewis,  T.  L Bridgeport 

Loomis,  Jas.  P Akron 

McDonald,    C.    A Wooster 


66  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

McDonald,   John Columbus 

Miller,    W.    H Massillon 

Morrison,    Thomas Sherodsville 

Moss,    Henry Cambridge 

Murphy,   J.   L Nelsonville 

Osborne,    F.    M Cleveland 

Reinartz,  L.  F E.  Liverpool 

Savage,  G.  W Columbus 

Sherwood,  C.  L .  . Columbus 

Simpson,  John Piney  Fork 

Smith,  Alex Mineral    City 

Rowley,  J.  W Akron 

Thomas,   David St.    Clairville 

Townsend,    P Cleveland 

Turner,  W.  H Cambridge 

Warwick,  J.  W Cleveland 

Waters,    Thomas Wellston 

Wilson,  J.  S Toronto 

Winsworth,    W.    G Youngstown 

Wiper,    Alex Zanesville 

Zerbe,  J.  B Cleveland 

OKLAHOMA. 

Brown,    B McAlester 

Cameron,    William McAlester 

Duffy,    Michael Midway 

Elliott,   James Haileyville 

Gould,    Charles    N Norman 

Hanraty,    Peter McAlester 

ONTARIO. 

Lamble,  B.  C Elk  Lake  City 

Lang,  H.  H Cobalt 

OREGON. 

Finley,   J.   P Portland 

Sessions,   E.   A Portland 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

Abraham,  J.  W Uniontown 

Acker,  Louis  K.,  Jr Bellevue 

Adams,  Thomas  K Mercer 

Ailes,  J.  W Donovrj 

Allen,  W.  L Pittsburg 

Aikman,    John Brockwayville 

Anderson,    Mary Pittsburg 

Armstrong,  J.  M Pittsburg 

Armstrong,    Frank Pittsburg 

Arnold,    George Pittsburg 

Atcheson,  Jno.  F Rittenhouse 

Bailie,  F.  H Pittsburg 

Barr,  J.  H.  C Philadelphia 

Barnsley,  Geo.  T Pittsburg 

Bart,  J.  G Cokeburg 

Baton,  Geo.  S Pittsburg 

Baumann,  .H Wikes   Barre 

Beadling,    Thomas Carnegie 

Beard,  J.  X Scranton 

Beck,    Harold    E Sharon 

Bell,   John   F Dravosburg 

Bishoff ,  Avery   M Swissvale 

Black,  Frank  B Meyersdale 

Blackburn,  D.   B Pittsburg 

Blick,    James Pittsburg 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  67 

Blower,   Daniel   R Johnstown 

Bochert,  C.  G Pittsburg 

Boileau,  John  W Pittsburg 

Bongamon,    F.    E Wilkinsburg 

Boren,  Earl  E Pittsburg 

Boyd,   Frank   P Pittsburg 

Brenneman,  Robert  C Pottsville 

Brown,    Thos.    B Canonsburg 

Brown,  Edward  J Du  Bois 

Burke,  J.  F Pittsburg 

Burke,  W.  J Pittsburg 

Burgan,  R.  P , Carnegie 

Burket,  H.   C Greensburg 

Burton,   J.    S Pittsburg 

Buffington,    Jos Pittsburg 

Byers,  John  W Crafton 

Calverly,    Walter Windber 

Cameron,  A.I Irwin 

Canon,  B.  H Mount  Lebanon 

Clark,  James  S Carnegie 

Clayton,  James Beaver  Falls 

Cliford,   William Jeanette 

Clingerman,    W.    H Scottdale 

Cole,  WTalter  R Beaver  Falls 

Caruthers,  John  S Irwin 

Cooper,  Allen   F '. Union  town 

Connelly,  C.  B Pittsburg 

Cosgrove,  P.  B  . Hastings 

Couch,  Alexander  M Scottdale 

Crago,    Richard Barnesboro 

Craig,  Chas.  E Creighton 

Crane,     WTalter  R ; .  .  State  College 

Crawford,  George  M Pittsburg 

Crawford,  L.   F Pittsburg 

Cray,  James  R Uniontown 

Crea,  J.  H Mars 

Crutzman,    C.    M Avalon 

Cunningham,   F.   WT Wilkinsburg 

Currie,    WTm Lilly 

Coutler,  Richard,  Jr Greensburg 

Bugger,    George Elrama 

Daubenspeck,    C.    V Cochranton 

Davis,  A.  L Venetie 

Davies,   Hy wel Kensec 

Day,  Edward  B Pittsburg 

Diescher,   Alfred    J Pittsburg 

D'Invilliars,  Edward  V Philadelphia 

Dixon,   J.   L Pittsburg 

Dolan,    Pat Midway 

Donaldson,  Archie Du  Bois 

Donaldson,   R.   T Pittsburg 

Dudley,  C.  S Altoona 

Dugan,  B.  P Pittsburg 

Dunn,  Willis  O .Pittsburg 

Durbin,    WTm Boston 

Dunk,   Mrs.    Walter Perrysvile 

Dunk,    Walter Perrysville 

Eagle,  Houston  H Pittsburg 

Earley,   M.   J Pittsburg 

Elliott,  Wm.  E Sharon 

Elwood,   W.    F Greensburg 

Endsley,    J.    W Somerfield 

Evans,  Nicholas    Tyrome 


68  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Falkel,  D.  J Pittsburg 

Farrington,  R.  P Pittsburg 

Feehan,   Francis Castle   Shannon 

Filer,  F.  P Mercer 

Fisher,  Ed.  F Somerset 

Fischer,  Wm.  F Pittsburg 

Fleming,  James  R Peale 

Fogg,  L.  W Uniontown 

Fohl,   W.   E Pittsburg 

Fouse,   John   M Pittsburg 

Frease,  John  B Wilkinsburg 

Fraser,   C.   D Pittsburg 

Fulford,  John  H Du  Bois 

Furey,  C.  D West  View 

Gates,  W.  H Graceton 

Gay,   George   E Uniontown 

Gilday,  R Morrisdale  Mines 

Gillmor,    Geo Pittsburg 

Glass,  Chas Pittsburg 

Gluck,    Leo Pittsburg 

Golden,   Robert   S Pittsburg 

Gould,  Samuel  C .  Pittsburg 

Grassie,  W.  S Sewickley 

Griffith,    Wm Scranton 

Haldeman,  Geo.  T.  .  . Thompsontown 

Hall,  C.  W Apollo 

Hall,  Clarence Pittsburg 

Hallett,   Henry   M Pittsburg 

Hampson,  S Punxsutawney 

Hanck,   N.   A Easton 

Harrop,   H.    S .  .Wilkinsburg 

Hassenpf lug,  Geo.  J .  .  . Lilly 

Henderson,  T.  Wilson Sharon 

Henderson,    James Uniontown 

Hertzell,  A.  E Pittsburg 

Hewitt,  A.  V.  H Pittsburg 

Killer,  L.  L Pittsburg 

Hobletezell,  W.  L Meyersdale 

Holliday,  Ben Ellsworth 

Holliday,  H.  C Pittsburg 

Hollis,  J.  H Pittsburg 

Hopkins,  N.  F Pittsburg 

Huber,  A.  J Pittsburg 

Humphries,  H.  Howard Vancus  Mill 

Humphry,   B.   F Philadelphia 

hunt,   A.   G Bulgen 

Imhof f ,   W.   G Pittsburg 

Jackson,  Thomas  A Uniontown 

Jamison,  W.  W Greensburg 

Johnston,  J.  B Pittsburg 

Jones,    Thomas   P Pittsburg 

Reefer,  W.  W Pittsburg 

Keller,  J.  B Scottdale 

Kelso,   M.   M Houston 

Kelvington,  W.  M Van  Meter 

Kent,    James Pittsburg 

Kerr,    Maurice WTilkinsburg 

Keys,  John  A Wilkinsburg 

Kirkbride,   George  T Carnegie 

Knapper,    Joseph Phillipsburg 

i^ace,   W.   T Vandergrift 

Larva,  F.  J Pittsburg 

Lehman,  George  M Pittsburg 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  69 

Lennon,    Fred Washington 

Leschen,  Arthur  A Pittsburg 

Lewis,  Henry  J Pittsburg 

Lewis,   R.   M Etna 

Lincoln,   K.   P Pittsburg 

Livingston,  L.  O Pittsburg 

Lloyd,    W.    J Uniontown 

Lockhart,   W.   A Houston 

Lowther,  Thomas  S Somerset 

Lowther,  W.  C Somerset 

Lyon,    F.    R Somerset 

Maize,  Joseph Van  Meter 

Maple,    Harvey Pittsburg 

Marcus,    Morris    M Pittsburg 

Martin,   John   T Philadelphia 

Mason,  H.  D.,  Jr , Charleroi 

Mather,    Thomas  A Bradenville 

McCaffrey,  Thos Brier  Hill 

McCasland,    K.    W LaBelle 

McClane,  John Ligomier 

McCormick,  John  B Georgeville 

McDonald,  F.  A Carnegie 

McDowell,    William Butler 

McFadin,  C.   B Argentine 

McGregor,    C.    P Pittsburg 

McKay,   Ed. .  • McKeesport 

McKay,    John .  . Benton 

Mcllveen,    H.    C Pittsburg 

McKinney,   R.    M Dravesburg 

McLeod,    James Wilkinsburg 

McLurk,   Morton   H Philadelphia 

McClasland,  Robert  J Pittsburg 

Mendenhall.  W.  C Crafton 

Miller,  J.  H Smoke  Run 

Mingus,   G.  W Pittsburg 

Mohler,    K.    I Freedom 

Montieth,    Alex , Patton 

Morris,    E.    L Wilkinsburg 

Morse,    E.    K Pittsburg 

Moore,  P.  G Scranton 

Morris,    Isreal Castle    Shannon 

Most,    David Lilly 

Mugridge,    John South    Fork 

Murdock,  Robert  J .  .Pittsburg 

Nelson,  Edward Bulger 

Nicholson,   John Carnegie 

Nicols,    Lowell    W Sewickley 

Nielson,  W.  J Irwin 

Nusser,    WTm.    E .  .  . Ingram 

Gates,   John   J Charleroi 

O'Neil,  J.  D Pittsburg 

Oshell,   Thomas , Pittsburg 

Patterson,  John Jacobs  Creek 

Penrose,  R.  A.  F Philadelphia 

Peters,    C.    M Ben   Avon 

Phillips,  Elias DuBois 

Pollack,   Robert   M Star   Junction 

Powell,  David  E Pittsburg 

Powel,    Griffith Johnstown 

Pratt,  John  I Crafton 

Price,  Thomas  H .  Wilkesbarre 

Quach,  J.   M Freeport 

Reith,   August , .  .Pittsburg 


70  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Ramsay,  A.  C Greensburg 

Ramstedt,    Wm v Johnstown 

Rayburn,  John  M Pittsburg 

Renzichausen,    Henry Pittsburg 

Renzichausen,    Walter Allegheny 

Renzichausen,    James Pittsburg 

Rice,    George    E Waynesburg 

Richards,    William    G Pittsburg 

Richards,  W.  J Pottsville 

Rigg,   WT.   N , . .  Pittsburg 

Robert,  J.  C Pittsburg 

Robbins,  Samuel Pittsburg 

Roderick,    David,    J Hazelton 

Ross,  C.  B Greensburg 

Russell,  J.  C Pittsburg 

Salkeld,  Howard  B Carnegie 

Satler,  L.  L.,  Jr Glenshaw 

Saxman ,  M.  W .  .  .  -. Latrobe 

Schluederberg,   WT Pittsburg 

Schluederberg,   F.   Z Pittsburg 

Schluederberg,  C.   G Pittsburg 

Schmidt,  H.  M .  . ' -. Pittsburg 

Schmunk,  John  F Pittsburg 

Scholl,  Louis  A.,   Jr. Pittsburg 

Scott,  James Pittsburg 

Scurfield,  Jas.  H WTells  Creek 

Shaw,  G.  M Pittsburg 

Shillito,   Mrs.   Kate Pittsburg 

G.  M.  Shillito Pittsburg 

Smail,  Jas.  A Leechburg 

Smith,  Lee  S Pittsburg 

Smith,   Geo.  W Kite 

Smith,  Harvey  D Pittsburg 

Smith,  John   C Wilkinsburg 

Sommerville,  John  S WTinburne 

Soppett,  Edw , Herminie 

Spellmire,  W.  B Pittsburg 

Sprague,  J.  B Pittsburg 

Stambaugh,  S.  H Sharon 

Steele,  George  D Pittsburg 

Steinberg,  Ben Pittsburg 

Stoek,   H.   H Scranton 

Stoneroad,  J.  M Pittsburg 

Street,  Reuben Ford  City 

Sturges,  T.  B Scranton 

Sykes,   Edward   C Bellevue 

Taggart,  Eugene  B Wilkinsburg 

Taylor,   Chas,  T Turtle  Creek 

Taylor,  Jas.  M Pittsburg 

Taylor,   Samuel  A Wilkinsburg 

Tenary,   Robert Pittsburg 

Thomas,  Mrs.  D.  C Thorn 

Thomas,  W.  S Pittsburg 

Thomas,  W.  A Wilkinsburg 

Tilley,  J.  F Pittsburg 

Veach,  B.  F Pittsburg 

Verner,  H.  J Carnegie 

WTadsworth,  M.  E Pittsburg 

Wagner,  W.  H Carnegie 

Wedd,  Alfred  M Pittsburg 

Weller,  Adam Allegheny 

Wentling,  J.  C Greensburg 

'Vhite,  Thomas  H Crafton 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  71 

Whyel,  George Uniontown 

Williams,   Thos.    W Connellsville 

Williams,   Joseph    Altoona 

Williams,   R.   M New  Castle 

Williams,   Morris Philadelphia 

Williams,   T.  E Pittsburg 

Wise,  C.  S Pittsburg 

WTood,  Geo.  R Pittsburg 

Woodworth,  R.  B Pittsburg 

Woomer,  J.  W Pittsburg 

Wyman,  WT.  A Beech  view 

Wynne,  Ira  H Glenwillard 

Yost,  Raymond,  G Mt.  Lebanon 

Young,  David Brownsville 

Zimmerman,  Thomas  M Dawson 

Zimmerman,  James  Z Delmont 

Zirg,  A.  V.  W Pittsburg 

SOUTH  DAKOTA. 

Fulton,  Charles  H Rapid  City 

Werth,  Howard Rapid  City 

TEXAS. 

Happer,  H.  F El  Paso 

Plaser,  M.  B El  Paso 

UTAH. 

Boggs,   S.  L Salt  Lake  City 

Carter,  J.  Owen Salt  Lake  City 

Cox,  Fred  WT Manti 

Knight,  J.  W Provo 

McKim,  J.  W Salt  Lake  City 

Saxman,  C.  W Salt  Lake  City 

VIRGINIA. 
Schubert,  E.  A .  Norfolk 

WASHINGTON. 
Smith ,  Gale <. Spokane 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

Ashley,  Geo.  H Washington 

Brooks,  Alfred  H Washington 

Fisher,  Cassius  A t. Washington 

Merrill,  George  P '. Washington 

Parker,  Edward  WT Washington 

Smith,  George  O Washington 

Upham,  Mrs.  N.  C Washington 

Wilson,  Herbert  M .Washington 

WEST  VIRGINIA. 

Bratt,   J.   F Independence 

Bryde,  P.  M Wheeling 

Buck,  Stuart  M Bramwell 

Cook,  James  F Fairmont 

Cummings,  WT.  R Sisterville 

Dawson,  J.  W Charleston 

Dremon,  E.   D Fairmont 

Eavenson,  Howard  N Gary 

Fleming,   A.   B Fairmont 

Gartlan,    Thomas Parkersburg 

Grady,  P.  A Huntington 

Hass,  Frank Fairmont 

Henry,  Earl  A Clifton 

Hill,  Bonner  H Chilyan 


'12  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Hite,  R.  M Fairmont 

Hough,  Elmer Wellsburg 

LaRue,  R.  S Morgantown 

Malone,  L.  L Fairmont 

McKabe,  John Clearfield 

McKinley,  J.   C Wheeling 

Ord,  W.  D Landgraf f 

Ott,  Lee Thomas 

Parsons,  Frank  E Clarksburg 

Paul,  James  W Davis 

Phillips,  David  R Bramwell 

Phillips,  John Bickley 

Ross,  John  G Charleston 

Steenbergen,  William Point  Pleasant 

Springer,  John  A Flemington 

Strangham,  J.  A Huntington 

Warner,  William Charleston 

White,  I.  C Morgantown 

Williams,  R.  Y Moundsville 

WISCONSIN. 

Estabrook  Ned  L Platteville 

Holden,  E.  C Madison 

Longhenry,   Edw.   G Ben  ton 

WYOMING. 
Benton,  William Centennial 


LIST   OF    MEMBERS    OF   THE    AMERICAN     MINING    CONGRESS. 
Life  Members   Marked    (L). 

Acheson,  Edward  G Niagara  Falls,  New  York 

Adams,  Prof.  Arthur  K Socorro,  New  Mexico 

Adams,  Everett  F Reno,   Nevada 

Adkinson,  H.  M Denver,  Colorado 

Agency  Co.,  The Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Alderson,  Victor  C.   (L) Golden,  Colorado 

Alexander,  E.  E Spokane,  Washington 

Alexander,  F.  J Denver,  Colorado 

Allen,  C.  A Deadwood,  South  Dakota 

Allen,  Orren    El  Paso,   Texas 

Allen,  Watson    Seattle,  Washington 

Allison,  E.  M.  Jr Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Althouse,  W.  D Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania 

Almeda  Cons.  Mines  Co * Portland,  Oregon 

Ameling,  H.  R Fredricktown,  Missouri 

Anderson,  Chas.  H Denver,  Colorado 

Anderson,  G.  Scott Wallace,  Idaho 

Anderson,  John  B Bisbee,  Arizona 

Anderson,  J.  Herbert   .  . Spokane,  Washington 

Anthony,  C.  E San  Diego,  California 

Anthony,  W.  W San  Diego,  California 

Arkell,  Edwin    .' Reno,   Nevada 

Armstrong,  L.  K Spokane,  Washington 

Armstrong,  W.  W Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Atkin,  W.  T Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Atwood,  Mrs.  E.  C Boston,  Massachusetts 

Ayres,  Geo.  V Deadwood,  South  Dakota 

Azbell,  Chas.  C Eaton,  Arkansas 

Bache,  Chas.  F Tucson,  Arizona 

Bailey,  R.  W Denver,  Colorado 

Bain,  H.  Foster Urbana,   Illinois 

Baker,  E.  P Laramie,  Wyoming 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  73 

Baker,  Henry  C Ogden,  Utah 

Bancroft,  Geo.  J Denver,  Colorado 

Barnes,  Dr.  B Douglas,  Arizona 

Barnes,  Clarence  E Boise,  Idaho 

Barnsley,  Geo.  T Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Bartlett,  C.  O Cleveland,  Ohio 

Bartlett,  Sidney  E Cheyenne,  Wyoming 

Bauer,  B.  F Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Baumgartner,  Matt.    (L)    Spokane,  Washington 

Beck,  W.  A Spokane,,  Washington 

Becker,  Chas.  M Victor,  Colorado 

Bedell,  S.  A Fenner,  California 

Beeler,  H.  C Denver,  Colorado 

Beery,  H.  F Seattle,  Washington 

Belcher,  J.  R Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Belen  Mining  Co Douglas,  Arizona 

Bell,  C.  B Douglas,  Arizona 

Bemis,  G.  L Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Boileau,  John  W Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Billingsley,  J.  H Galena,  Illinois 

Bent,  Geo.  B Bent,  New  Mexico 

Bentley,  L.  B Organ,  New  Mexico 

Benton,  Wm Centennial,  Wyoming 

'Bettles,  A.  J.  (L) Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Beveridge,  A.  E Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Blackham,  Henry  F El  Paso,  Texas 

Blockberger,   F.   R Portland,   Oregon 

Blumenberg,  Henry Daggett,  California 

Bolton,  D.  G Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Borden,  Gail Los  Angeles,  California 

Boston,  J.  L Bisbee,  Arizona 

Bothwell,  G.  R Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Bovard,   H.    F Greensburg,    Pennsylvania 

Boyrie,  n.  E Seattle,  Washington 

Bowen,  J.  J Bisbee,  Arizona 

Bradley,  Wm.  L El  Paso,  Texas 

Bradley,  Wm.   M Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Brandes,  Juan  Felix  (L) Denver,  Colorado 

Bransford,  J.  S Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Bransford,  W.  H Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Bratnober,  H Tacoma,  Washington 

Brattain,  Ross  R Spokane,  Washington 

Bretherton,  S.  E San  Francisco,  California 

Bridgman,  W.  E Denver,  Colorado 

Brooks,  Alfred  H Washington,  D.  C. 

Brophy,  M.  J. Bisbee,  Arizona 

Brophy,  Wm.  H Bisbee,  Arizona 

Brougher,  W ' Carson  City,  Nevada 

Brown,  C.  T Socorro,  New  Mexico 

Brown!  John    Spokane,  Washington 

Brown,  L.   A Bisbee,   Arizona 

Browning,  W.  O Seattle,  Washington 

Brownlee,  Col.  A.  G.  (L)    Denver,  Colorado 

Brunton,  D.  W.  (L)    Denver,  Colorado 

Bryant    L Spokane,  Washington 

Bryant'  W    G  •  •  Carterville,  Missouri 

Buckley,  Dr.  E.  R.  (L) Flat  River,  Missouri 

Buie    Henry  T Buffalo,  Arkansas 

Bulger  Block  Coal  Co.    Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Bunch,  John  A Harrison,  Arkansas 

Burke    G.  M Joplm,  Missouri 

Burton  Powder  Co Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Busch  Bros Rhyolite,  Nevada 


74  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Butler,  Edgar  T '. Denver,  Colorado 

Butler,  Geo.  E Needles,  California 

Butler,  Jos.  G Youngstown,  Ohio 

Buxton,  G.  E Bisbee,  Arizona 

Caffey,  B.  F Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Calahan,  Henry  C.  (L)    San  Francisco,  California 

Caldwell  Bros.  Co Seattle,  Washington 

Caldwell,  J.  N Denver,  Colorado 

Cray,  James  R Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Crescent  Coal  Co. Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Callbreath,  J.  F.   .  . Denver,  Colorado 

Campbell,  F.  J. ' Denver,  Colorado 

Campbell,  C.  P Colorado  Springs,  Colorado 

Canada,  A.  W Carterville,  Missouri 

Cannon,  P.  H Cherry  Creek,  Nevada 

Cantwell,  H.  J St.  Louis,  Missouri 

Caretto,  B Bisbee,  Arizona 

Cardwell,  B.  A Seattle,  Washington 

Cargo,  L.  M Denver,  Colorado 

Carpenter,  A.  B Los  Angeles,  California 

Carrigan,  D Custer,  South  Dakota 

Carlson,  A.  E Boise,  Idaho 

Carroll,  James  .  .  . Needles,  California 

Carroll,  John Victorville,  California 

Carter,  W.  T Los  Angeles,  California 

Gary,  R.  J Denver,  Colorado 

Cass,  Geo.  W Douglas,  Arizona 

Casseday,  David  WT Spokane,  Washington 

Catlin,  W.  P Carson  City,  Nevada 

Catrow,  Henry    Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Caulkins,  W.  R Carthage,   Missouri 

Caven,  Dr.  C.  L Bisbee,  Arizona 

Chaney,  H.  E Missoula,   Montana 

Chenoweth,  H.  K Nogales,  Arizona 

Chilberg,   J.   E Seattle,  Washington 

Child,  Wm.  H.  (L)    Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Chittenden,  W.  H Denver,  Colorado 

Christopher,  Jas.  K Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Clancy,  R.  K Cananea,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Clark,  J.  Ross Los  Angeles,  California 

Clark,    H.    S Butte,    Montana 

Clark,  V.  V Reiter,  Washington 

Clark,  Wm.  F Glover,  Vermont 

Clark,  Will  L Jerome,  Arizona 

Clark,  W.  H ' Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Clausen,  Carl Bisbee,  Arizona 

Cleveland,  J.  F Phoenix,  Arizona 

Clifford,  Henry  B New  York  City 

Cobb,  E.  M Chicago,  Illinois 

Cobb,  Philander Douglas,  Arizona 

Colburn,  E.  A.    (L)    Denver,  Colorado 

Cole,  David Cananea,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Coleman,  Frank  J. Morenci,  Arizona 

Collins,  Glenville  A Seattle,  Washington 

Collins,  R.  F Spokane,  Washington 

Comstock,  A.  R Idaho  Springs,  Colorado 

Conard,  A.  M Noria,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Conrad,  E.  W Spokane,  Washington 

Cook,  Edw.  H Tucson,  Arizona 

Cooley,  B Galena,  Kansas 

Cooney,  Frank  H Butte,  Montana 

Cooper,  William Georgetown,  Colorado 

Condron,  John Salt  Lake.  Utah 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  75 

Coplen,  J.  B Globe,  Arizona 

Coplen,  J.  D Globe,  Arizona 

Cornell,  Russell  T New  York  City 

Costello,  Frank  F.   (L)    Colorado  Springs    Colorado 

Costello,  John  A Chicago,  Illinois 

Cowell,  W.  J.  R Deming,  New  Mexico 

Cowen,  Jas.  G Douglas,  Arizona 

Crandell,  Jas.  H Denver,  Colorado 

t^rane,  Chas.  E Seattle,  Washington 

Crawford,  Geo New  York  City 

Crawford,  Capt.  Jack Chicago,  Illinois 

Crawford,  Alec.  J.  F El  Paso,  Texas 

Crawford,  G.  H Jamestown,  New  York 

Creelman,  G.  R Detroit,  Michigan 

Crescent  Coal  Co Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Crowdus,  J.  W El  Paso,  Texas 

Cullen,  J.  F Los  Angeles,  California 

Cunningham,  Chas Bisbee,  Arizona 

Cunningham,  M.  J Bisbee,  Arizona 

Cutler,  Thos.  R Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Cutler,  John  C Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Dahl,  Henry  P Cripple  Creek,  Colorado 

Daily,  M.  J Park  City,  Utah 

Damours,  C.  A Virginia  City,  Montana 

Dana,  L.  N Joplin,  Missouri 

Daniels,  Wm.  P Denver,  Colorado 

Davidson,  J.  M Seattle,  Washington 

Davis,  Jack  (L)    Goldfield,  Nevada 

Davis,  Robt.  W.  Jr Silverton,  Colorado 

Davis,  O.  C Douglas,  Arizona 

Dawson,  J.  W Charleston,  West  Virginia 

Day,  Eugene  R Wallace,  Idaho 

Day,  Harry  L Wallace,  Idaho 

Degge,  W.  W Boulder,  Colorado 

Dehuff ,  M.  A Spokane,  Washington 

De  Lavergne,  Hon.  E.  M Colorado  Springs,  Colorado 

Delmas,  P.  D , Salt  Lake,  Utah 

ue  Maine,  Ernest  M Naco,  Arizona 

Dempster,  A Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Denair,  John Needles,  California 

Denn,    Maurice Bisbee,    Arizona 

Dern,  John Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Dern  &  Thomas Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Deveraux,  T.  E Fort  Dodge,  Iowa 

Dewey,  A.  M Spokane,  Washington 

Dickson,  W.  H Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Dietrich  &  Goetz Tucson,  Arizona 

Dignowity,   C.   L Reno,    Nevada 

Dignowity,   F.   A Reno,   Nevada 

Dillman,  L.  C Los  Angeles,  California 

Dirks,  Martin  H St.  Joseph,  Missouri 

Dittmar,  M.  E Redding,  California 

Donaldson,  A.  M Denver,  Colorado 

Doolittle,  C.  H Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Dorsey,  Col.  Geo.  W.  E Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Doty,  L.  C Eureka,  Utah 

Douglas,  F.  S Douglas,   Arizona 

Douglas,  Jas.  S Nacozari,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Douglas,  Dr. Jas New  York  City 

Douglas,  WTalter Bisbee,  Arizona 

Downey,  Chas.  J Denver,  Colorado 

Downing,  Chas.  S Denver,  Colorado 

Doyle,  R.  J Rhyolite,  Nevada 


76  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Draper,  Frank  B Chicago,  Illinois 

Dube,  R.  E Denver,  Colorado 

Dudley,  A.  A Douglas,  Arizona 

Duncan,  John  A St.  Joseph,  Missouri 

Dunyon,  Newton  A Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Du  Pont,  E.  L,  Powder  Co Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Dwight,  F.  L Los  Angeles,  California 

Dwyer.  Daniel Joplin,  Missouri 

Dwyer,  E.  P.  . Joplin,  Missouri 

Earnest,  F.  G Spokane,  Washington 

East,  Jas.  H Douglas,  Arizona 

East,  John  H Denver,  Colorado 

Eastman,  A.  F Tacoma,  Washington 

Ebbley,  Norman Wallace,  Idaho 

Ede,  J.  A La  Salle,  Illinois 

Edmundson,  Dr.  C.  L. Bisbee,  Arizona 

Edmunds,  Joseph  E Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Edwards,  Henry  W Denver,  Colorado 

Elkins,  John  T Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Ellis,  Chas.  O Douglas,  Arizona 

Ellingwood,  C.  O Boston,  Massachusetts 

Elliott,  Fred  J Globe,  Arizona 

Ellis,  A.  C.,  Jr Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Ellsworth  Collieries  Co Ellsworth,  Pennsylvania 

Ellwood,  N.  F Greensburg,  Pennsylvania 

Elmendorf,  Wm.  J Spokane,  Washington 

Emberson,  A.  L Denver,  Colorado 

Engelhard,  Chas New  York  City 

Eng.  &  Mining  Journal New  York  City 

iiirisman,  J.  F Denver,  Colorado 

Estes,  Ambrose  W Yelleville,  Arkansas 

Estmere,  Chas Candle,  Alaska 

Evans,  C.  W.   .  . Ashland,  Oregon 

Evans,  David  (L) Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Evans,  Evan  E Denver,  Colorado 

Evans,  Mark  G Denver,  Colorado 

Evans,  R.  J. .Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Everett,  Dr.  W.  Eugene Tacoma,  Washington 

Ewing,  Col.  Thos.  (L) Fenner,  California 

Ewing,  W.  E ". Fenner,  California 

Farish,  Wm.  A.,  Jr El  Paso,  Texas 

Fassett,  C.  M Spokane,  Washington 

Feather  River  Dev.  Co San  Francisco,  California 

Felt,  J.  M. ' .  .  .  Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Fellows,  Walter  C Needles,  California 

Ferguson,  N.  E.  .  .  : Los  Angeles,  California 

Ferguson,  Col.  S.  W San  Francisco,  California 

Ferry,  W.  M Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Fickell,  Fred  W Tucson,  Arizona 

Fiduciary  Co.,  The Chicago,  Illinois 

Finch,  Marcus Denver,  Colorado 

Fisher,   Thos Pittsburgh,    Pennsylvania 

Fitch,  Max  B El  Paso,  Texas 

Fletcher,  Geo.  T Joplin,  Missouri 

Fletcher,  John  G Kennett,  California 

Foley,  W.  R \ Denver,  Colorado 

Foote,  Arthur  De  Wint Grass  Valley,  California 

Foote,  Robt.  W Breckenridge,  Colorado 

r  orbes,  A.  W Tucson,  Arizona 

Forrester,  Robert  (L)    Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Foster,  Ernest  Le  Neve Denver,  Colorado 

Fox,  Moylan  C Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Franz,  E.  H Globe,  Arizona 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  77 

Fredericks,  L.  G Buffalo,  Arkansas 

Freed,  C.  M Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Freeman,  M.  P Tucson,  Arizona 

Friedman,  L.  A Lovelock,  Nevada 

Fukuda,  R Berkeley,  California 

Fogg,  L.  W Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Galigher,  J.  E Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Gallagher,  Jas.  F Joplin,  Missouri 

Garm,  J.  E Joplin,  Missouri 

Gatch,  Elias  S.  (L) St.  Louis,  Missouri 

Gay,  Geo.  E Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Gaylord,  M.  D Globe,  Arizona 

Geisenhofer,  O.  W Bisbee,  Arizona 

Gemmell,  Robert  C.  (L) Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

General  Eng.  Co Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

George,  Dr.  R.  D Boulder,  Colorado 

Giffin,  Abner Seattle,  Washington 

Gifford,  A.  W t  ...  El  Paso,  Texas 

Gilbert,  M.  P.   (L)    Los  Angeles,  California 

Gilson,  John  W Spokane,  Washington 

Gmahling,  Wm Cananea,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Godbe,  E.  L Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Godfrey,  Jas.  J Seattle,  Washington 

Godshall,  Dr.  D.  L Needles,  California 

Godthorpe,  Edwin  F Benton,  Wisconsin 

Goodall,  Arthur Drytown,  California 

Goodsell,  B.  W Chicago,  Illinois 

Gould,  S.  H Tucson,  Arizona 

Granberg,  H.  O.  (L) Oshkosh,  Wisconsin 

Grant,  B.  F Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Grant,  M.  N Laramie,  Wyoming 

Gray,  Douglas Tombstone,  Arizona 

Gray,  Geo.  F Tucson,  Arizona 

Gray,  Jas.  R Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Gray,  John  (L)    Deadwood,  South  Dakota 

Gray,  W.  A Portland,  Oregon 

Greene,  Ernest  H : Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Great  Lakes  Coal  Co .Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Green,  M.  M Chicago,  Illinois 

vjrregg,  Col.  H.  H.  (L) Joplin,  Missouri 

Gregg  Investment  Co Denver,  Colorado 

Greenewald  Furniture  Co Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Greenough,  W.  D Mullan,  Idaho 

Gridley,  F.  P Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Grier,  F.  J Lead,  South  Dakota 

Grigsby,  W.  WT Skidmore,  Missouri 

Gritman,  A.  D Spokane,  Washington 

Gunnell,  Alva  H Grants  Pass,  Oregon 

Gunn,  Geo.  E Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Haas,  J.  C Spokane,  Washington 

Haas,  F.  J.  . Douglas,  Arizona 

Hale,  Irving Denver,  Colorado 

Halteman.  W.  A Meteor,  Washington 

Halter,  E.  S Copperfield,  Colorado 

Hamilton,  Thos.  W Globe,  Arizona 

Hand,  J.  H Yelleville,  Arkansas 

Haninger,  Geo Bisbee,  Arizona 

Hanks,  L.  C Douglas,  Arizona 

Hanson,  Chas.  T Douglas,  Arizona 

Hanson,  Rasmus Silverton,  Colorado 

Hardy,  James  Gordon El  Paso,  Texas 

Hardy,  J.  W Cananea,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Hardy,'  James  Gordon El  Paso,  Texas 


78  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Hardy,  W.  C Hazel  Green,  Wisconsin 

Harlan,  M.  R Bisbee,  Arizona 

Harrington,  F.  L Bisbee,  Arizona 

Hawes,  R.  L Cananea,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Haworth,  Dr.  Erasmus Lawrence,  Kansas 

Hayes,  C.  Willard Washington,  D.  C. 

Hechtman,  J.  F Globe,  Arizona 

Hedberg,  Fred Don  Luis,  Arizona 

Heidenrich,  C.  J Spokane,  Washington 

Heigho,  E.  M Weiser,  Idaho 

Heizer,  D.  N Colorado  Springs,  Colorado 

Henderson,  H.  B Columbus,  Kansas 

Henderson,  James Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Henderson,  W.  M Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Herr,  H.  L Galena,  Illinois 

Herrick,  R.  L Denver,  Colorado 

Hicks,  Ira  W Seattle,  Washington 

Killer,  Albert  L Denver,  Colorado 

Hodgman,  Jas.  A.  (L) Los  Angeles,  California 

Hoffman  Bros Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Holman,  Austin  T Victor,   Colorado 

Holmes,  Dr.  J.  A Washington,  D.  C. 

Hoofer,  A.  O Grants  Pass,  Oregon 

Hopkins,  M.  E Boise,  Idaho 

Hornickel,  Lute Cleveland,  Ohio 

Horse  Shoe  Mng.  Co Seattle,  Washington 

House,  S.  R Denver,  Colorado 

Houtz,  J.  C Rhyolite,  Nevada 

Howell,  F.  D.  Jr Los  Angeles,  California 

Howell,  George  D.  .  . Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Hubbard,  M.  E Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Huff,    L.    B Greensburg,    Pennsylvania 

Hull,  C.  W , Bisbee,  Arizona 

Humphries,  Col.  C.  K.v Seattle,  Washington 

riusted,  Jas.  D ,i. Denver,  Colorado 

Hutchinson,  Chas.  T.    San  Francisco,  California 

Hutchinson,  Geo"  W ' Greensburg,  Pennsylvania 

Hutchinson,  R.  A Spokane,  Washington 

Hutton,  James WTaukesha,  Wisconsin 

Hymer,  J.  P Denver,  Colorado 

Hyndman,  N.  P Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Iglehart,  Wm Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Ingalls,  J.  Aaron Reno,  Nevada 

Irvine,  Thos.  E Boulder,  Colorado 

Ish,   Marvin  E Goldfield,   Nevada 

Ivey,  J.  W Seattle,  Washington 

Jackling,  D.  C.   (L)    Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Jacobs,  A.  L Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Jacobson,  J.  A Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Jacobson,  Tony Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

James,  Evan  Shade Denver,  Colorado 

Jameson,  Wm.  L Denver,   Colorado 

Jamison,   W.    W Greensburg,    Pennsylvania 

Janes,   L.    M Carterville,    Missouri 

Jansen,  L.  H Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Jarrett,  Geo.  L Platteville,  Wisconsin 

Jarrett,  John  G Cuba  City,  Wisconsin 

Jenson,  J.  B Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Johnson,   C.   J Spokane,   Washington 

Johnston,  J.  B Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Johnson,  Chas.  M Seattle,  Washington 

Johnston,  Jesse  K Charleroi,  Pennsylvania 

Johnson,  Peter    Bisbee,  Arizona 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  79 

Johnson,  J.  B Denver,  Colorado 

Johnston,   C.   J Denver,   Colorado 

Jones,  C.  L Bisbee,  Arizona 

Jones,  Lloyd  Kenyon Denver,  Colorado 

Jones,    W.    A Mineral    Point,    Wisconsin 

Jordan,   Irwin    Kansas   City,    Missouri 

Joseph,  Harry  S Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Ready,  L.   Y Portland,   Oregon 

Keelyn,  Dr.  Jas.  E Chicago,  Illinois 

Keith,  David  (L) Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Kendrick,  W.   F Denver,   Colorado 

Kennedy  Bros Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Kennedy,  C.  Justin Seattle,  Washington 

Kennedy,   John   F Seattle,    Washington 

Kilbourne,  E.  C Seattle,  Washington 

King,   Henry  L Spokane,   Washington 

King,  M.  M Bisbee,  Arizona 

King,    W.    H Salt    Lake,    Utah 

Kingsbury,  J.  T Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Kinkead,  Jas.  H Virginia  City,  Nevada 

Kinney,  M.  J Portland,  Oregon 

Kinney,  W.   Z Silverton,    Colorado 

Kirby,  John  A.   (L)    Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Kirkbride  Coal  Co Carnegie,   Pennsylvania 

Klinefelter,  P.  K Needles,  California 

Knight,  Jesse   (L) Provo,  Utah 

Knight,  J.  Wm.    (L)    Provo,  Utah 

Knowles,  W.  H Los  Angeles,  California 

Koch,  WTalter  A Denver,   Colorado 

Koonce,  M.  Egbert Sharpsville,  Pennsylvania 

Kountz,  Louis  K Goldfield.   Nevada 

Krepps,  J.  E Los  Angeles,  California 

Krull,  WTm.  F.  C Boise,  Idaho 

Laidlaw,   Andrew    Spokane,   Washington 

Laird,   Geo.   A Bisbee,   Arizona 

Lake,  C.  F Cardinal,  Colorado 

Lambourne,  G.  W Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Lammers,   Theo.  L Spokane,   Washington 

Lamont,  E.  M Canon  City,   Colorado 

Lancaster,  Henry  M WTallace,  Idaho 

Lane,  Chas.,  D.   (L)    Brown's  Valley,  California 

Lane,  Martin    Philadelphia,   Pennsylvania 

Lang,  H.  H Cobalt,  Ontario,  Canada 

Langford,  J.  E Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Langford,   F.   M Salt  Lake,   Utah 

Largent,  J.  A Rhyolite,   Nevada 

Larsen,  Lewis  P Metaline,  Washington 

Lawton,  M.  J Joplin,   Missouri 

Lee,   Drachman   &   Pryce    Tucson,   Arizona 

Lee,  J.  C Portland,  Oregon 

Leftwich,  Thos.  J.  .' Ft.  Collins,  Colorado 

Lehman,  B.  N Salt  Lake.  Utah 

Lennox,  William Colorado  Springs,  Colorado 

Leonard,  J.  M Joplin,  Missouri 

Leschen  &  Sons  Rope  Co Denver,  Colorado 

Lewandowski,  J.  A Brooklyn,  New  York 

Lewis,  S.  J Needles,  California 

Lightcap.  R.  L Hazel  Green.  Wisconsin 

Lingle,    C.    M Graceton,    Pennsylvania 

Linney,  W.  H Spokane,  Washington 

Lister,  Thos.  A Lordsburg,  New   Mexico 

Cocker,  P.  B Salt  Lake.  Utah 

Logan,  G.  W Denver,  Colorado 


80  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Lohmann,  A.  S Denver,  Colorado 

Lomiester,    Frank    Leadville,    Colorado 

Long,  Geo.  W Bisbee,  Arizona 

Longhenry,  Edw.  G Benton,  Wisconsin 

Loose,  C.  E Provo,  Utah 

Lund,  S Carson  City,  Nevada 

Lucky  Tiger  Con.  Gold  Mining  Co Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Lyons,  Jas.   K .Pittsburgh,   Pennsylvania 

Lundberg,?Alex Bohemia,  Oregon 

Lynch,  Col.  J.  K Butte,  Montana 

McAllister,   Wm.    H Marblemount,    Washington 

McBride,  J.  W Spokane,  Washington 

McCaffery,   Richard   S Salt  Lake,   Utah 

McCaffery,    Thos Brier    flill,    Pennsylvania 

McCarthy,  E.  T Baxter  Springs,   Kansas 

McCarthy,  Jas.  F Wallace,  Idaho 

McCarthy,  P.  B Rapid  City,  South  Dakota 

McChrystal,  J.  H Salt  Lake,  Utah 

McClelland,  Geo.  E Idaho  Springs,  Colorado 

McClurg,  J.  A Denver,  Colorado 

McCone,  Alex.  J.    Reno,  Nevada 

McCormick,  C.  K New  York  City 

McCormick,    John   B Georgeville,    Pennsylvania 

McCullough,  A Tocoma,  Washington 

McDermott,   Wm Tucson,    Arizona 

McDonald,  D.  C.   . Ely,  Nevada 

McDonald,  Ed Carterville,  Missouri 

McDonald,  J.  R Rhyolite,  Nevada 

McGraw,  John  H Seattle,  Washington 

Mclntire,  A.  W Seattle,  Washington 

McKay,  Kay Seattle,  Washington 

McKinnie,  J.  R Colorado  Springs,  Colorado 

McKinnie,   R.   A Benton,   Wisconsin 

McLean,  Henry  A Mt.   Vernon,  Washington 

McLean,  M.  H Morenci,  Arizona 

McMullan,   John    Goldfield,   Nevada 

McMurray,   John   H Denver,   Colorado 

McNeil.  John    Denver,   Colorado 

McNeish,  J.   S Bisbee,   Arizona 

McQuarrie,  W.   F Denver,   Colorado 

McWeeney,  P.  J Albany,  New  York 

MacDonald,   J.  L Seattle,  WTashinton 

McManus,  I Cananea,   Sonora,   Mexico 

MacVichie,  Duncan  (L)    Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Maas,  Walter  L Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Mabry,  Bob Spokane,  Washington 

Magnan,  A.  U Denver,  Colorado 

Maguire,  Don Ogden,  Utah 

Malcolmson,  Jas.  W Kansas  City,   Missouri 

Mann,   Fred   A Joplin,    Missouri 

Markwell,  J.  Fred Wallace,  Idaho 

Marshall-Ellis  Inv.  Co Denver,  Colorado 

Marshall,  W.  C Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Martin,  E.  L Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Martin,  R.  L.   (L)    Denver,  Colorado 

Martineau,  Lyman  R Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Mason  Co.,  The  E.  B Bisbee,  'Arizona 

Mason,  L.   C.    : Independence,   Kansas 

Mattheissen  &  Hegeler  Zinc  Co La  Salle,  Illinois 

Meese,  Geo.  C Joplin,  Missouri 

Menardi,   J.    B Reno,    Nevada 

Merk,  W.  W Spokane,  Washington 

Merrick,  Charles   Seattle,  Washington 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  81 

Merrill,  Jos.  F.  . Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Meyer,  J.   E Salt  Lake,   Utah 

Middlekauff,  E.  D Plainfield,  New  Jersey 

Millar.  H.  J Joplin,  Missouri 

Miller,  Cyrus   Denver,  Colorado 

Miller,  Fred  A Laramie,  Wyoming 

Miller,  F.  B Greensburg,  Pennsylvania 

Miller,  David South  Bend,   Indiana 

Miller,  L.  F Joplin,  Missouri 

Miller,  W.  A Denver,  Colorado 

Mills,  W.  F.  R Denver,  Colorado 

Mine  &  Smelter  Supply  Co .  .Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Minor,  C.  E Cananea,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Mitchell  Co.,  The  C.  E "; Spokane,  Washington 

Mitchell,  Mark    Chewelah,   Washington 

Mitchell,  S.  D Carthage,  Missouri 

Mitchell,  W.   H Seneca,    Missouri 

Moffat,  D.  H.    (L)    Denver,  Colorado 

Monroe,   Edward    Boulder,   Colorado 

Montague,  John  V Cananea,   Sonora,   Mexico 

Moore,   F.   C ,  .  Boise,   Idaho 

Moore,  L.  L Bishee,  Arizona 

Moore,  O.  P Spokane,  Washington 

Moritz,  Jacob Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Morris,  Robert Greensburg,  Pennsylvania 

Morrison,  S.  W Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Morton,  J.  C Everett,  Washington 

Monongahela  River  Cons.  Coal  &  Coke  Co.   .  .Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Mosier,  Frank Carterville,  Missouri 

Mt.  Baker  &  Shuksan  Manufacturing  Co Seattle,  Washington 

Mudd,  Seeley  W Los  Angeles,  California 

Mueller,  Dr.  Victor  F Milwaukee,  Wisconsin 

Muheim,  Jas.  M Bisbee,  Arizona 

Muir,  Capt.  Thos.  K Portland,  Oregon 

Mullen,  R.  G Orogrande,  New  Mexico 

Mulvey,  M.  E Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Murray,  J.  J Orogrande,  New  Mexico 

Myers,  Clarence    Chehalis,  Washington 

Naquin,  M.  L Globe,  Arizona 

National  Dev.  Co Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Natoma  Dev.  Co San  Francisco,  California 

Nay,  George Needles,  California 

Neale,  Geo.  H Bisbee,  Arizona 

Nevada-Utah  Dev.  Co Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Newcomb,  B.  M San  Francisco,  California 

Newhouse,  Sam'l  (L)    Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Newman,  J.   B Globe,  Arizona 

Newsander,  Sam    Spokane,  Washington 

Newman,  M Bisbee,  Arizona 

Nicholson,  Samuel  (L)    Leadville,  Colorado 

Nisbet,  WTm Greensburg,   Pennsylvania 

Nix,  Geo.  M New  York  City 

Noon,  Thos.  F Peru,  Illinois 

Norcross,  C.  A .Reno,  Nevada 

Nordquist,  John  H Wallace,  Idaho 

North  Coast  Mining  &  Milling  Co Tacoma,  Washington 

North,  Chas.  J Buffalo,  New  York 

Northern  Exploration  Co Seattle,  Washington 

Northwest  Mining  News Spokane,  Washington 

Norton,  E.  A Denver.  Colorado 

Null,  H.  H.,  Jr., Grensburg,  Pennsylvania 

Oberndorfer,  J Salt  Lake,  Utah 

O'Brien,  W.  M •  •  •  Salt  Lake,  Utah 


82  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

O'Connell,  J.  M Bisbee,  Arizona 

Olsen,  M.  E Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Omo,  J.  T Spokane,  Washington 

Orem,  W.  C.    . Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Orient  Coke  Co. Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Ovens,  R.  L Bisbee,  Arizona 

Overlook,  C.  A Douglas,  Arizona 

Overlook,  L.  J.    .  .- Bisbee,  Arizona 

Pack,  Fred  J Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Packer,  H.  G Joplin,  Missouri 

Paige,  N.,  Jr Joplin,  Missouri 

Palace  Drug  Co Joplin,   Missouri 

Palmer,  Edw.  Vose Denver,  Colorado 

Parker,  E.  W Washington,  D.  C. 

Parker,  M.  B El  Paso,  Texas 

Patrick,  Fred  L Columbus,  Ohio 

Pattison,  B.  M Bisbee,  Arizona 

Paul.  Alfred    Douglas,  Arizona 

Payne,  Dr.   Henry  Mace Morgantown,  West  Virginia 

Pearl,  E.  H Denver,  Colorado 

Pease,  L.   A .' Denver,   Colorado 

Peck,  I.  F Denver,  Colorado 

Pershing,  A.  N Greensburg,  Pennsylvania 

Phelps,  A.  H Denver,  Colorado 

Phillips,  Arthur    Spokane,   Washington 

Phillips,  S.  B Spokane,  Washington 

Phillips,  Wm.  B Birmingham,  Alabama 

Phinney,  Frederick  V Wallace,  Idaho 

Phipps,  S.  A Cripple  Creek,  Colorado 

Piatt  &  Heath   Co Helena,   Montana 

Pickerell,  Jas.  E Spokane,  Washington 

Playter,  C.  C Joplin,  Missouri 

Playter,  Franklin Boston,  Massachusetts 

Playter,  Geo.   H Boston,   Massachusetts 

Plummer,  Frank Washington,  D.  C. 

Pollard,  Ira Denver,  Colorado 

Pollock,  Jas.  A Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Pompeney,  Dr.  Jos Frontenac,  Kansas 

Portland  Gold  M.  Co Colorado  Springs,  Colorado 

Powell,  Col.  L.  W Bisbee,  Arizona 

Power,  Christy  &  Co Goldfield,  Nevada 

Prather,  H.  R Joplin,  Missouri 

Preston,  W.  J .  . Silver  Cliff,  Colorado 

Prier,  W.  F Portland,  Oregon 

Quigley,  E.  D Denver,   Colorado 

Railton,  A.  B Spokane,  Washington 

Raddatz,  E.  J Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Randolph,  Epes   (L)    Tucson,  Arizona 

Range,  J.  W Seattle,  Washington 

Rapp,  Abram Cripple  Creek,  Colorado 

Ratliff,  L.  L Spokane,  Washington 

Ray,  L.  O Rhyolite,  Nevada 

Ratcliff,  E.  M Seattle,  Washington 

Kathman,  Geo.  H Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Rawlins,  J.  L Salt  Lake,  Utar 

Read,  T.  A Reno,  Nevada 

Read,  W.  C Bisbee,  Arizona 

Reese,  Mrs.  Clara    (L)    Denver,   Colorado 

Reinert,  E.  G.  (L)    Denver,  Colorado 

Reinert,  Lewis  A Denver,  Colorado 

Reinert,  N.  A Denver,  Colorado 

Reitler,  Chas.  W Denver,  Colorado 

Remington,  W.  H Seattle,  Washington 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  83 

Renshaw  &  Co Wallace,  Idaho 

Renshaw,  W.  E. Idaho  Springs,  Colorado 

Reppy,  W.  E Carl  Junction,  Missouri 

Reynolds,  Chas.  A Sneffles,  Colorado 

Rice,  John  A El  Paso,  Texas 

Rice,  W.  V Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Richards,  A.  G Laramie,  Wyoming 

Richards,  A.  M Tacoma,  Washington 

Richards,  Bartlett    (L) .Ellsworth,   Nebraska 

Richards,  J.  H.   (L)    ^ Boise,  Idaho 

Richey,  D.  T Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Richmond,  F.  C Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Riebe,  Ed    Redding,  California 

Ridge,  W.  R Reno,  Nevada 

Riedel,  H.  A Denver,  Colorado 

Riepe,  Richard  A Ely,  Nevada 

Riordan,  D.  M New  York,  New  York 

Risque,  J.  B Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Riter,  Geo.  W Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Robbins,  Chas.  P Spokane,  Washington 

Roberts,  Wm Shultz,  Arizona 

Robertson,  P.  C Globe,  Arizona 

Robinson,  W.  J Joplin,  Missouri 

Rocks  Coal  &  Coke  Co Connelsville,  Pennsylvania 

Rodgers   &   Rogers Chicago,    Illinois 

Romadka,  Chas.  A Douglas,  Arizona 

Rooklidge,  Chas.  D Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Roscorla,  N.   B Soo,  Ontario 

Rose,  Patrick Globe,  Arizona 

Ross,  Beauregard .  .Denver,  Colorado 

Rosskopf ,  J.  X Spokane,  Washington 

Root,  L.  V Needles,  California 

Ross,  J.  B Silverton,  Colorado 

Rowse,  W.  A.  C Seattle,  Washington 

Royce,  W.  K Rich  Hill,  Missouri 

Royse,  O.  D Joplin,  Missouri 

Rummel,  A.  G Denver,  Colorado 

Sachs,  Claude Denver,  Colorado 

Salt  Lake  City  Brewing  Co Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Samuel,  R.  L Cananea,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Samuels,  H.  P.   - WTallace,  Idaho 

Sanford,  J.  H. Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Sapp,  Wm.  F.  .  . Galena,  Kansas 

Saxman,  C.  W.  (L)    Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Scaife,  H.  L Clinton,  South  Carolina 

Schader,  Carl  F.  (L)    Los  Angeles,  California 

Schermerhorn,  E.  B Galena,  Kansas 

Schrock,  J.  B Spokane,  Washington 

Schwan,   Gustave Murray,   Utah 

Seburn,  Frank  P Bagdad,  California 

Seeman,  Henry  I Denver,  Colorado 

Senior,  George Seattle,  Washington 

Sessions,  E.  A Portland,  Oregon 

Severance,  Dr.  A.  E Seattle,  Washington 

Shane,  W.  H Bohemia,  Oregon 

Shanks,  D.  W Chihuahua,   Mexico 

Shannon,  C.  M.  (L)    Los  Angeles,  California 

Shattuck,  L.  C Bisbee,  Arizona 

Shearer,  L.  V Denver,  Colorado 

Shedden,  J.  S Spokane,  Washington 

Shenk,  Wm.  W Tacoma,  Washington 

Sherman,  Gerald Bisbee,  Arizona 

Shomon,  J. Galena,  Kansas 


84  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Shropshire,  A.  S.  J Douglas,  Arizona 

Siegwein,   John    Weiser,    Idaho 

Sierra  Madre  Mining  Co Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Sigafoos,  R.  B Denver,  Colorado 

Sigel,  F.  L Denver,  Colorado 

Simmons,  A.  J Deadwood,  South  Dakota 

Singleton,  John Log  Angeles,  California 

Siren  Gold  M.  &  M.  Co Greeley,  Colorado. 

Skagit  Queen  Con.  Mng.  Co Seattle,  Washington 

Skeels,  Alfred Central  City,  Colorado 

Skinner,  C Denver,  Colorado 

Slaughter,  W.  J Douglas,  Arizona 

Smedley  Steam  Pump  Co Dubuque,  Iowa 

Smith,  Andrew  Young Pearce,  Arizona 

Smith,  Claude  W Goldfield,  Nevada 

Smith,  Edmund Valdez,  Alaska 

Smith,  Edward Boise,  Idaho 

Smith,  E.  G Irwin,  Pennsylvania 

Smith,  Frank  Clemes Ontario,  Canada,  Sault  Ste  M. 

Smith,  Frank  C.  &  Son Denver,  Colorado 

Smith,  Franklin  W Bisbee,  Arizona 

Smith,   Gale    Spokane,   Washington 

Smith,  Geo.  Otis Washington,  D.  C. 

Smith,  Herbert  E Spokane,  Washington 

Smith,  Hoval  C Bisbee,  Arizona 

Smith,  James Carterville,  Missouri 

Smith,  J.  F.,  Jr Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Smith,  Oscar  J Reno,  Nevada 

Smith,  Peter  J Boise,  Idaho 

Snapp,  F.  T f Joplin,  Missouri 

Snyder,  F.  J Cerro,  Colorado,  Arizona 

Snyder,  Willard  F Salt  Lake,  Utah 

South,  Frank  M Grants  Pass,  Oregon 

Spalding,  E.  P Spokane,  Washington 

Speer,,Alex.   (L)    Near  Congress  Junction,  Arizona 

Spry,  John  C.  (L) Chicago,  Illinois 

Stacy ^  Albert Douglas,   Arizona 

Standard,  F.  H Seattle,  Washington 

Standard,  R.  &  D.  Co Seattle,  Washington 

Star,  Sol Deadwood,  South  Dakota 

Star  Electric  Fuse  Works Wilkesbarre,  Pennsylvania 

Steams-Rogers  Manufacturing  Co Denver,  Colorado 

Steele,  J.  L.  .  . Landlock,  Alaska 

Steffner,  S.  W. Portland,  Oregon 

Steinfeld,  Albert Tucson,  Arizona 

Stephens,  John  R.  .  . Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Stevenson,  W.  L WTadsworth,  Nevada 

Stewart,  W.  B Portland,  Oregon 

Stolzenbach,  A.  H Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Stone,  H.  E Douglas,  Arizona 

Stone,  Col.  W.  B Galena,  Kansas 

Stone,  W.  A Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Storm,  Lynn  W Valdez,  Alaska 

Stoneroad,  J.  T.  M Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Stowell,  Wm.  H Spokane,  Washington 

Straub,  Frank Denver,  Colorado 

Strevell  &  Paterson Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Suits,  J.  E Douglas,  Arizona 

Sultana-Arizona  Copper  Co Chicago,  Illinois 

Sultan,  Harry Globe,  Arizona 

Sumner,   C.    M.   Co Reno,    Nevada 

Suter,  G.  B Denver,  Colorado 

Swart,  W.  G Denver,  Colorado 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  85 

Sweek,  Alex .  . Portland,  Oregon 

Sweet,  Arthur  A Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Swift,  J.  V Benton,  Wisconsin 

Swindler,  F.  P • Robinson,  Utah 

Talbert,  High    Carterville,   Missouri 

Talmage,  Dr.  Jas.  E.  (L)    Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Tarbell,  W.  S.  ..'..... *. Denver,  Colorado 

Tarbet,  A.  H Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Taylor,  C.  A Douglas,  Arizona 

Taylor,  E.  A Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Taylor,  H.  S Spokane,  Washington 

Taylor,  Jas.  A El  Paso,  Texas 

Taylor,  Samuel  A • Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Tehaney,  P.  J Cananea,  Sonora,  Mexico 

Temple,  Geo.  B Joplin,  Missouri 

Temple,  W.  O Denver,  Colorado 

Tener,  G.  E Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Terry,  M.  C Carterville,  Missouri 

Thatcher,  G.  W Rhyolite,  Nevada 

Thennes,  J.  N Spokane,  Washington 

Thomas,  B Seattle,  Washington 

Thomas,  Gomer Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Thompson,  H.  L Denver,  Colorado 

Thompson,  J.  V Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Tibbals,  Wm.  H Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Tibbetts,  Col.  O.  A Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Tibbitt,  Alton  W Seattle,  Washington 

Timothy,  Thos Baxter  Springs,  Kansas 

Toombs,  F.  L Globe,  Arizona 

Tracy,  T.  H.  (L) Los  Angeles,  California 

Travers,  Richard  P Chicago,  Illinois 

Treweek,  Nicholas Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Trenton  Iron  Co Denver,  Colorado 

Triangle  Mng.  &  Dev.  Co Missoula,  Montana 

Turner,  J.  H Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Turnagain  Arm  Gold  Mining  Co .Chicago,  Illinois 

Tuttle,  Sidney .......'. Janesville,  Wisconsin 

Underwood,  Pierce  .......".:. Chicago,  Illinois 

Union  Iron  Works   .'.... San  Francisco,  California 

Utah-Arizona  G.  &  C.  M.  Co Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Utah  Mine,  The Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Venabls,  J.  M Boise,  Idaho 

Vaile,  Joel  F .  Denver,  Colorado 

Vest,  Col.  T.  J.  .  . Galena,  Kansas 

Verner  Coal  &  Coke  Co Carnegie,  Pennsylvania 

Vigus,  W.  E Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Vigneau,  Jos.  J Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Vincent,  Maj.  F.  C Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Voorhies,  E.  C Gutter  Creek,  California 

Wadsworth,  M.  E Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Walden,  Chas Victor,  Colorado 

Walker,  C.  J Everett,  Washington 

WTalker,  J.  W Cherry  Creek,  Nevada 

Walker,  M.  H Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Wall,  E.  A Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Wallace,  H.  Vincent Nogales,  Arizona 

Wallace,  I.  W Bisbee,  Arizona 

Walsh,  Jas.  A Helena,  Montana 

Walsh,  Thos.  F.   (L)    Littleton,  Colorado 

Walters,  Wm.  J Seattle,  Washington 

Wampler,  WT.  WT Webb  City,  Missouri 

Ward,  E.  R Spokane,  Washington 

Wardrop,  Jas.  W Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 


86  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Ward,  John  G Albany,  New  York 

Ward,  WT.  S Denver,  Colorado 

WTarwick,  A.  W .  Choix,  Sinaloa,  Mexico 

WTatson,  J.  Frank Portland,  Oregon 

Wratson,  J.  W Omaha,  Nebraska 

WTatts,  L.  H Baxter  Springs,  Kansas 

Weaver,  Geo.  B. •.  .  Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Webber,  WT.  H Fairview,  Nevada 

Webb,  I.  A Deadwood,  South  Dakota 

Weir,  Thomas Salt  Lake,  Utah 

WTelch,  H.  T San  Jose,  California 

Wells,  Hon.  Heber  M Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Wells,  Henry  F Boston,  Massachusetts 

Welsford,  J.  V Cuba  City,  Wisconsin 

WTendler,  A.  J Spokane,  Washington 

WTentling,  J.  D Greensburg,  Pennsylvania 

WTest,  Hon.  John  H Needles,  California 

WTestinghouse  Machine  Co Denver,  Colorado 

Wheeler,  H.  K .Los  Angeles,  California 

White,  Arthur  L.  (L) Lima,  Ohio 

White,  E.  L . Denver,  Colorado 

White,  F.  Wallace   (L)  ....'. Baker  City,  Oregon 

White,  Dr.  I.  C.  (L) Morgantown,  West  Virginia 

WThite,  J.  J Denver,  Colorado 

Whitford,  Dr.  O.  B Butte,  Montana 

Whyel,  Geo .Uniontown,  Pennsylvania 

Weir,  Thomas Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Whyel,  Harry    Uniontown,   Pennsylvania 

Wilber,  F.  A Joplin,  Missouri 

Wilcox,  E.  J Denver,  Colorado 

Williams,  Clayton  M Everett,  Washington 

WTright,  M.  P Los  Angeles,  California 

Youghiogheny  &  Ohio  Coal  Co Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania 

Williams,  D.  A Douglas,  Arizona 

Williams,  E.  W Denver,  Colorado 

Williamson,  J.  D Idaho  Springs,  Colorado 

W'ilson,  Geo.  B Searchlight,  Nevada 

Wilson,  Leonard Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Wingfield,  Geo.  (L)    Goldfield,  Nevada 

Wire,  Frank  E Liberty ville,  Illinois 

Wrolfe,  Leon  B Lewisberg,  Pennsylvania 

Wolff,  John  R Boulder,  Colorado 

WTolfle,  C Spokane,  Washington 

Wood,  Ernest  C Spokane,  Washington 

WTood,  Guilford  S Denver,  Colorado 

WTood,  James Douglas,  Arizona 

Wood,  J.  D.  (L) Salt  Lake,  Utah 

Woodman,  Parker Bisbee,  Arizona 

Woods,  F.  M Victor,  Colorado 

Woodward,  Felix  J Denver,  Colorado 

Worth  en,  B.  L Denver,  Colorado 

Worthington,  W.  H Douglas,  Arizona 

Wourms,  John  H Wallace,  Idaho 

Wright,  E.  M Union,  Oregon 

WTright,  Jesse  B Tucson,  Arizona 

Wright,  H.  J Douglas,  Arizona 

Wright,  John  M.   iL)    San  Francisco,  California 

Wright,  Louis  A Globe,   Arizona 

Woodson,  W.  H Globe,  Arizona 

Young,  Lewis  E Rolla,  Missouri 

Zang,  Adolph  J Denver,  Colorado 

Zimmerman,  Ed Harrison,  Arkansas 

(L)  Following  names  denotes  life  membership. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  87 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:  I  know  we  shall  all  be  pleased  to  hear 
from  the  gentleman  who  has  crystalized  the  thought  which  has  been  em- 
bodied in  the  technologic  branch  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey. 
I  take  pleasure  in  introducing  to  you  Dr.  J.  A.  Holmes.  (Applause.) 

Mr.  Holmes'  address  will  be  found  on  page  98,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

SECRETARY  C ALL-BREATH:  'Certificates  for  return  railroad  fare 
at  a  reduced  rate  will  be  received  now,  and  the  representatives  of  the  rail- 
road companies  are  here  ready  to  pass  upon  such  certificates  as  may  be 
presented.  I  fear  greatly  that  this  will  not  be  of  avail  because  of  the  fact 
that  many  delegates  failed  to  get  the  certificates  when  purchasing  tickets, 
but  if  there  are  a  sufficient  number  the  reduced  return  fare  will  be 
granted;  100  in  the  Trunk  Line  territory,  1,000  in  the  Central  Passenger 
Association  territory.  The  Central  Passenger  Association  includes  the 
territory  between  here  and  Chicago;  the  Trunk  Line  territory  eastward 
to  New  York.  Those  of  you  who  have  certificates  will  kindly  file  them  at 
once,  and  we  will  endeavor  to  make  it  possible  for  you  to  get  a  return 
ticket  at  the  reduced  rate. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  question  on  the  program  for  discus- 
sion this  morning  is  "The  Duties  of  the  Federal  and  State  Governments 
in  Relation  to  the  Mining  Industry."  We  are  fortunate  in  having  with  us 
Congressman  W.  F.  Elnglebright,  of  Nevada  City,  California,  who  will  lead 
in  that  discussion. 

Congressman  Englebright's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  255,  Part  II., 
of  this  report. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  next  gentleman  to  take  part  in  lead- 
ing this  discussion  is  Mr.  George  H.  Harrison,  Chief  Inspector  of  Mines, 
Columbus,  Ohio. 

MR.  GEORGE  H.  HARRISON,  OF  OHIO:  Mr.  Chairman,  Members 
of  the  Congress  and  Visitors:  Since  receiving  an  invitation  to  attend  and 
take  part  in  this  Congress  my  time  has  been  almost  exclusively  occupied 
in  connection  with  a  commission  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  our  state 
to  revise  and  remodel  the  mining  laws  or  the  state,  and  to  suggest  such 
new  laws  and  bills  as  in  our  minds  needed  enactment  into  law.  Conse- 
quently, I  have  not  had  much  time  to  go  deeply  into  the  matters  that  I 
think  would  interest  the  members  of  this  assembly. 

Mine  inspectors  as  you  know  have  to  be  very  careful  indeed  of  what 
they  say;  and  they  have  to  be  still  more  careful  about  what  they  do  not 
say.  In  order  that  there  may  be  no  misconstruction  of  anything  that  may 
be  said,  I  deemed  it  necessary  to  note  down  a  few  of  what  I  think  are  im- 
portant matters  to  be  taken  into  consideration  in  the  advisability  of  state 
and  federal  co-operation  in  connection  with  the  government  of  mines. 
With  the  exception  of  one  instance  I  have  not  gone  into  details,  but  I  feel 
that  with  reference  to  a  great  many  questions  all  that  is  necessary  for 
people  to  understand  is  the  injury  or  the  benefit  that  may  be  derived 
from  those  subjects. 

Mr.  Harrison's  address  will  be  found  on  page  57,  Part  II.,  of  this 
report. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  Resolution  No.  16,  as  follows: 

Resolution  No.  16. 
(By  William  Benton,  of  Wyoming.) 

Resolved,  That  the  American  Mining  Congress  in  convention  assem- 
bled, petition  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  to  pass  a  law  transferring 
the  public  lands  in  the  several  states  to  the  several  states  wherein  such 
lands  are  situated,  to  be  disposed  of  to  citizens  in  a  similar  manner  to 
the  school  lands  in  these  respective  states;  thereby  abolishing  the  abuses 
growing  out  of  the  present  management  of  these  lands  under  the  present 
Forest  Reserve  and  other  laws. 

MiR.  JOHN  ROSS,  CHIEF  MINE  INSPECTOR,  WEST  VIRGINIA:  I 
would  like  to  have  the  privilege  of  about  five  minutes  to  explain  some  of 
the  conditions  in  regard  to  the  State  of  West  Virginia. 


8?  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Will  you  postpone  that  until  after  the 
next  address  on  the  program,  when  the  subject  will  be  open  for  discus- 
sion? 

MR.  RO'SS:     I  yield  to 'the  pleasure  of  the  chairman. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  We  will  now  be  privileged  to  hear  from 
a  gentleman  whom  you  all  know,  on  the  subject  under  discussion,  Senator 
Charles  Dick,  of  Ohio. 

Senator  Dick's  address  will  be  found  on  page  18,  Part  II.,  of  this 
report. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  As  I  sat  and  listened  to  Senator  Dick  it 
became  apparent  to  my  mind  that  the  aims  of  this  organization  were 
gradually  penetrating  the  conscience  of  the  American  people;  its  mission 
is  just  commencing,  as  he  has  suggested,  to  co-operate  with  these  govern- 
mental institutions  in  furnishing  them  with  what  the  people  of  this  coun- 
try need  from  a  mining  standpoint. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  Resolution  No.  17,  as  follows: 

Resolution  No.  17. 
(Introduced  by  A.  H.  Purdue,  of  Arkansas.) 

Whereas,  The  American  Mining  Congress  realizes  the  need  of  the  dis- 
semination of  knowledge  relating  to  subjects  of  mining  and  metallurgy, 
thus  increasing  the  safety  and  efficiency  of  mine  operations,  and 

Whereas,  There  is  need  of  furthering  the  development  and  conserva- 
tion of  our  mineral  resources,  and 

Whereas,  The  several  State  Mining  Schools  or  departments  of  mining 
in  other  state  institutions  are  leaders  in  this  work  by  technically  training 
men  for  the  mining  profession,  in  most  cases  without  adequate  support, 
be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  American  Mining  Congress  pledges  its  influence 
toward  securing  federal  aid  to  state  mining  schools  or  mining  depart- 
ments of  other  state  institutions. 

The  secretary  then  read  the  following  report: 

PRELIMINARY     REPORT     OF     THE     NATIONAL     FOREST     SERVICE 

COMMITTEE. 

Pittsburg,  Pa.,  Dec.  4,  1908. 
To  the  American  Mining  Congress: 

Gentlemen:  Your  committee  having  under  consideration  specific 
complaints  made  to  it  in  this  open  session  of  the  Congress,  to  the  effect 
that  the  National  Forest  Service  has  collected  and  insists  upon  collecting 
fees  from  miners  for  timber  cut  from  ground  which  is  open  to  mineral 
location  within  the  national  forests,  and  which  timber  is  used  exclusively 
in  the  development  of  miners'  claims,  respectfully  submit  that  the  Act  of 
June  3,  1878,  (20  Stat.  88)  provides  that  "residents  of  the  State  of  Colo- 
rado, or  Nevada,  or  either  of  the  Territories  of  New  Mexico,  Arizona, 
Utah,  Wyoming,  Dakota,  Idaho  or  Montana,  and  all  other  mineral  districts 
of  the  United  States,  shall  be,  and  are  hereby,  authorized  and  permitted 
to  fell  and  remove,  for  building,  agricultural,  mining,  or  other  domestic 
purposes,  any  timber  or  other  trees  growing  or  being  on  the  public  lands, 
said  lands  being  mineral,  and  not  subject  to  entry  under  existing  laws  of 
the  United  States,  except  for  mineral  entry,  in  either  of  said  states,  terri- 
tories or  districts  of  which  said  citizens  or  persons  may  be  at  the  time 
bona  fide  residents,  subject  to  such  rules  and  regulations  as  the  Seretary 
of  the  Interior  may  prescribe  for  the  protection  of  the  timber  and  of  the 
undergrowth  growing  upon  such  lands,  and  for  other  purposes." 

Pending  the  complete  work  of  investigation  by  your  committee,  it  has 
been  requested  and  urged  by  many  members  attending  this  session  of  the 
Congress,  to  recommend  that  the  American  Mining  Congress  petition  the 
National  Forest  Service,  now,  and  without  further  delay,  to  so  modify  its 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  89 

rulings  and  regulations  as  to  permit  the  free  use  of  timber  in  accordance 
with  the  provisions,  authority  and  spirit  of  the  act  referred  to. 

Your  committee,  therefore,  recommends  that  favorable  action  be 
taken  in  this  emergency  to  assist  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  min- 
eral industry, 

Respectfully  submitted, 

(Signed)  A.  G.  BROWNLEE, 

Chairman. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  What  is  your  pleasure  with  the  report 
the  Secretary  has  just  read? 

MR.  ROCKWELL:  I  move  you,  sir,  that  this  report  as  read  be  ac- 
cepted as  the  expression  of  this  assembled  congress  in  this  far-reaching 
and  most  important  matter,  and  that  the  expression  of  it  be  conveyed  in 
no  uncertain  terms  and  by  any  method  prescribed  by  the  Chairman  to 
the  head  of  the  Forest  Service  in  Washington  as  quickly  as  it  can  be 
done. 

MR.  JOHN  R.  WOOD,  OF  COLORADO:  I  desire  to  second  the 
motion. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that 
this  report  be  accepted  and  communicated  in  some  appropriate  manner  to 
the  Chief  of  the  Forestry  Service  at  Washington.  Are  you  ready  for  the 
question? 

The  question  was  called  for  and  being  put  was  duly  carried. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  secretary  has  a  communication  to 
read. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  This  is  a  communication  from  Mr.  E. 
H.  Harriman. 

New  York,  Dec.  2,  1908. 

James  F.  Callbreath,  Jr.,  Secretary  American  Mining  Congress,  Westing- 
house  Bldg.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.: 

Message  received.  I  have  just  dictated  a  letter  which  will  go  by  to- 
nights mail.  I  am  very  sorry  it  will  not  be  possible  for  me  to  be  present, 
but  I  am  sending  memorandum  of  what  I  would  probably  say  if  present, 
and  you  can  use  it  or  not,  as  you  choose.  I  greatly  appreciate  the  compli- 
ment, but  it  is  just  impossible  at  this  time  for  me  to  be  present. 

E.  H.   HARRIMAN. 

Secretary  Callbreath  also  read  a  telegram  from  John  Hayes  Ham- 
mond, Mining  Engineer  of  New  York,  and  a  letter  from  Congressman  Geo. 
F;.  Huff,  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Mines  and  Mining,  House  of 
Representatives,  Washington,  as  follows: 

New  York,  Dec.  3rd,  1908. 
Jas.  F.  Callbreath,  Jr.,  Secretary  American  Mining  Congress,  1211  West- 

inghouse  Bldg.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa,: 

Have  only  just  received  notification  from  Governor  of  California  of 
my  appointment  as  delegate  to  represent  California  in  Mining  Congress. 
Regret  very  much  my  inability  to  be  present.  Would  willingly  make  con- 
siderable sacrifice  of  my  own  business,  but  interests  confided  to  me  by 
other  parties  would  be  jeopardized  by  my  absence  just  now.  Wish  Con- 
gress very  successful  meeting. 

JOHN  HAYES  HAMMOND. 

Washington,  D.  C,,  Nov.  27,  1908.    ' 
Mr.  J.  F.  Callreath,  Secretary  the  American  Mining  Congress,  No.  1211 

Westinghouse  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania: 

My  Dear  Mr.  Callbreath — I  am  so  overcrowded  with  matters  here, 
it  will  not  be  possible  for  me  to  attend  the  sessions  of  the  American  Min- 
ing Congress  at  Pittsburg,  December  2-5.  I  am  heartily  in  accord  with 
the  movement,  hdwever,  and  bespeak  for  the  meetings  abundant  success. 
Necessarily  the  inquiries,  investigations  and  discussions  which  will  arise 


90  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

at  this  Congress  will  not  only  enlighten  the  mine  owners,  mining^  en- 
gineers, mine  superintendents,  foremen,  fire  bosses,  etc.,  but  will  also 
prove  of  interest  to  the  miners  themselves,  whose  welfare  is  paramount. 

The  entire  mining  subject  will  undoubtedly  be  greatly  benefited  by 
the  investigations  which  are  now  being  conducted  by  the  Government,  and 
I  desire  to  commend  the  work  already  done  under  the  appropriation  made 
by  the  Congress  at  its  last  session,  looking  to  the  prevention  of  the  loss 
of  life  in  mining  operations. 

I  am  strongly  of  the  opinion  that  when  the  National  Bureau  of  Mines 
is  established,  and  I  confidently  believe  it  will  be,  its  recommendations 
will  be  adopted  by  all  the  states  in  which  mining  laws  are  necessary  and 
mining  will  then  be  conducted  along  the  lines  of  safety,  economy  and 
conservation.  Very  truly  yours, 

GEO.  F.  HUFF. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  I  would  like  to  say  that  the  Program 
Committee  intended  to  have  one  session  entirely  devoted  to  the  transpor- 
tation question  as  it  applies  to  the  mining  industry,  and  it  was  intended 
that  Mr.  Harriman's  address  should  be  given  at  that  time,  also  the  address 
of  Dr.  Douglas  and  that  of  Mr.  Dempster.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Harriman's  address  was  not  sent,  as  he  had  not  prepared  it,  until  so  late 
that  we  were  not  able  to  put  it  on  the  program,  and  the  further  fact  that 
Dr.  Douglas  was  anxious  to  have  his  lecture  illustrated  which  necessitated 
that  it  should  be  given  at  night,  that  plan  had  to  be  given  up.  But  the 
paper  of  Mr.  Harriman,  which  is  in  my  possession,  will  be  presented  in 
the  regular  order  at  some  time,  I  presume  this  afternoon,  by  the  presi- 
dent, if  it  is  in  order.  I  think  the  delegates  present  would  be  very  glad 
to  hear  that  paper,  and  would  like  to  know  in  advance  of  the  time  that 
it  is  to  be  presented. 

The  Congress  thereupon  adjourned  for  luncheon  a"  the  establishment 
of  the  H.  J.  Heinz  Company. 

FRIDAY,  DECEMBER  4,  1908. 
Afternoon  Session. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     The  convention  will  be  in  order. 

DOCTOR,  BUCKLEY:  I  wish  to  make  another  announcement  this 
afternoon  to  the  effect  that  the  resolutions  that  were  introduced  this 
morning  will  be  considered  in  the  special  committee  this  afternoon.  The 
special  committee  is  now  in  session  in  the  basement  of  this  building.  I 
would  suggest  that  any  one  who  is  interested  in  these  resolutions  and 
cares  to  be  heard  before  the  committee  appear  in  that  room,  and  he  will 
be  given  an  opportunity. 

MR.  JOHN  G.  ROiSS,  CHIEF  DEPARTMENT  OF  MINES,  WElST  VIR- 
VINIA:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Members  of  the  American  Mining  Congress: 
I  wish  to  be  given  your  kind  attention  for  a  few  moments  this  afternoon 
to  set  aright  the  state  which  I  am  representing  in  the  Resolutions  Com- 
mittee, and  as  acting  chief  of  the  Department  of  Mines,  on  a  point  which 
I  wish  to  bring  to  your  attention,  regarding  a  statement  made  by  Mr.  John 
Mitchell  in  an  address  before  this  body.  I  will  say  before  beginning  my 
address  that  Mr.  Mitchell  has  my  entire  respect,  and  I  am  sure  that  he 
will  be  only  too  glad  to  be  set  right.  Mr.  Mitchell  said,  and  I  quote  from 
the  press  report,  which  I  believe  is  accurate,  as  I  also  so  remember  the 
statement  myself,  speaking  of  fatalities  in  West  Virginia,  "In  West  Vir- 
ginia 12.35  men  out  of  every  1,000  employed  in  the  mines  were  killel." 
Now  I  have  gone  to  the  trouble  to  telegraph  back  to  Charleston  for  the 
exact  figures  upon  this,  and  taking  the  year  ending  June  30,  1908,  which 
owing  to  certain  unfortunate  circumstances,  not  likely  ever  again  to  oc- 
cur, has  brought  us  high  up  in  this  list,  the  production  of  West  Virginia 
for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1908,  was  44,091,051  tons.  This  I  believe  is 
in  short  tons,  as  that  was  the  information  I  asked  for.  Fatal  accidents, 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  91 

total,  625;  non-fatal,  842.  The  employees  were  60,397.  This  telegram  is 
signed  by  F.  L.  Truslow,  Clerk.  I  believe  it  to  be  accurate  in  all  respects. 
Now,  taking  the  total  number  of  625,  by  figuring  it  will  be  found  this 
gives  the  number  of  10.3  per  thousand.  If  we  subtract  from  this  the  num- 
ber lost  in  one  explosion  of  361  we  have  then  264  fatal  accidents.  Using 
then  the  same  number  of  men  employed  as  a  basis,  with  this  smaller  num- 
ber, and  omitting  for  the  moment  this  one  fatality,  the  figures  are  re- 
duced to  4.37.  This  to  be  sure  is  high,  but  there  are  a  great  many  con- 
ditions which  we  must  not  overlook  in  fairness  to  our  state  and  to  the 
operators;  and  last,  but  I  hope  not  least,  since  it  represents  the  senti- 
ment of  the  whole  of  the  state,  and  the  law  is  supposed  to  represent  the 
public  sentiment  of  the  state,  the  Department  of  Mines.  Now,  we  have 
some  difficulties  to  contend  with  in  West  Virginia  on  account  of  the  char- 
acter of  our  miners. 

We  have  on  the  south  Virginia,  and  my  compliments  to  that  state, 
which  has  no  mining  laws,  I  believe,  or  no  inspection  force.  From  the 
State  of  Virginia  we  got  some  10,000,  I  believe,  of  colored  people,  who 
have  not  much  knowledge  of  mining.  A  great  many  of  them  come  from 
over  in  the  neighborhood  of  Roanoke.  We  also  have  the  Italians  as  well 
as  other  foreigners.  We  also  have  the  conditions  that  are  common  where 
mines  are  new,  while  they  are  no  worse  than  the  mines  in  other  states 
not  so  well  known. 

I  will  now,  if  I  may  beg  your  attention,  inform  you  as  to  the  method 
we  take  as  to  collecting  information  as  to  the  accidents,  in  our  state,  to 
show  that  we  exercise  due  care.  All  the  operators  are  supplied  either 
directly  through  the  department  or  through  the  district  mine  inspectors, 
with  blank  accident  forms.  Immediately  an  accident  occurs  this  blank 
must  be  filled  out  fully,  and  I  think  most  of  the  operators  here  will  say 
that  we  have  asked  them  to  do  this,  and  that  they  have  complied.  This  is 
signed  by  the  superintendent,  sent  to  the  district  mine  inspector,  of  whom 
we  have  twelve,  and  signed  by  him.  It  is  then  sent  to  the  Department 
of  Mines  and  O.  K.'ed  by  the  department.  In  case  the  accident  is  fatal 
we  not  only  do  this,  but  we  have  what  is  known  as  a  mine  inspector's 
fatal  accident  report,  which  means  that  the  district  mine  inspector  visits 
the  scene  of  the  fatality  and  makes  out  a  report  upon  it  which  is  also 
sent  to  our  office. 

We  also  require  of  the  district  inspector  that  he  have  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  hospitals  furnish  him  with  a  list  of  the  accidents  to  pre- 
vent overlooking  of  any  one  by.  carelessness.  These  are  checked  with 
those  sent  in;  and  if  we  do  not  get  the  other  reports,  or  if  they  are  mis- 
laid in  some  way,  we  write  and  ask  for  the  reports.  Our  reports  of  acci- 
dents are  kept  on  file  in  the  order  of  their  occurrence,  and  we  have  a 
complete  list  at  all  times  for  the  reference  of  any  one  who  may  wish  it. 

Through  the  farsightedness,  we  believe,  of  Mir.  Paul,  and  Governor 
William  M.  O.  Dawson,  of  West  Virginia,  and  I  believe  that  you  will  all 
agree  that  they  are  representative  men  of  our  country,  we  have,  begin- 
ning with  my  appointment  as  assistant,  issued  a  monthly  bulletin.  In 
this  bulletin  there  is  given  a  list  of  the  accidents,  a  description  of  the 
same,  and  other  information.  In  addition,  there  are  careful  tables  com- 
piled for  the  annual  report. 

I  believe  that  these  things  will  indicate  to  you  that  we  are  taking 
great  care  in  West  Virginia  in  all  respects  to  insure  that  the  miners  shall 
receive  consideration  under  all  circumstances.  I  thank  you,  gentlemen. 

GOVERNOR  A.  B.  FLEMING,  OF  WEST  VIRGINIA:  Mr.  Chairman: 
I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Ross  this:  The  fatalities  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Mitchell  must  have  been  for  the  year  1907,  not  for  the  last  year,  from 
June  30,  1906,  to  June  30,  1907. 

MR.  ROSS:  I  have  not  made  any  calculations  upon  that  basis,  but 
I  presume  they  w<ere. 

GOVERN  OR  FLEMING:  I  want  to  inquire  of  you  whether  or  not, 
even  if  Mr.  Mitchell  should  be  correct  in  his  percentage  for  the  year  1907, 


92  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

any  such  percentage  can  possibly  maintain  for  the  year  1908,  at  least  up 
to  this  time,  December? 

MR.  ROSS:  I  believe  up  to  the  present  time  we- have  had  no  ex- 
plosions, or  only  one  small  explosion  which  I  saw  reported  in  the  paper, 
of  which  I  am  not  fully  informed,  but  which  was  a  very  small  accident, 
probably  not  injuring  more  than  two  or  three  men. 

GOVERNOR  FLEMING:  If  the  president  will  allow  me  a  word  in 
this  connection,  for  the  sake  of  the  reputation  of  the  state  we  represent, 
I  would  like  to  say  that  my  understanding  is  that  we  had  two  bad  explo- 
sions in  1907  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  I  do  not  just  remember 
the  names  of  the  mines  now,  Mr.  Dixon's  mine  and  the  Stuart  mines,  in 
which  there  was  something  less  than  a  hundred  killed  in  each  of  those 
mines  in  the  year  1907.  There  was  also  that  terrible  explosion  at  Mon- 
ongah,  on  the  6th  of  December  last  year,  in  which  361  lost  the'r  lives. 
We  cannot  apologize  for  those  explosions.  We  don't  know  why  they  oc- 
curred. We  do  not  know  what  condition  brought  them  about.  We  only 
know  that  because  of  these  three — yes,  and  there  was  another  one  that 
year  up  near  the  Thomas  mine — four  explosions  that  year,  which  brought 
the  fatality  of  West  Virginia  up,  if  Mr.  Mitchell  was  correct,  to  that  fear- 
ful figure.  No  such  condition  and  no  such  accidents,  no  such  explosions 
in  magnitude  or  such  fatalities  had  ever  before  occurred.-  Mr.  Mitchell 
said  it  was  getting  worse  and  worse  in  the  state.  Whether  it  is  true  that 
the  year  1907  was  the  worst  in  the  state's  history,  I  do  not  know.  I  do 
not  know  how  many  years  it  would  take  to  make  in  the  aggregate  as 
many  fatalities  as  we  had  in  1907,  but  we  would  like  to  have  this  Mining 
Congress  bear  in  mind  that  in  the  year  1908,  now  about  closed,  we  have 
had  no  explosions  of  any  magnitude,  but  one,  which  we  saw  reported  in 
the  papers  since  we  came  here,  perhaps,  as  serious  one  as  we  have  had 
this  year,  in  which,  if  I  remember  correctly,  three  men  lost  their  lives. 

Now,  if  we  are  correct  that  there  have  been  no  such  explosions  this 
year,  and  I  am  told  by  the  district  mine  inspector,  sitting  right  here,  than 
whom  none  are  more  competent,  that  his  understanding  is  that  the  fatali- 
ties other  than  from  explosions  have  been  reduced  in  the  year  1908  to 
about  one-half,  certainly  that  in  his  district,  then  West  Virginia  will  not 
make  a  bad  showing,  and  we  hope  she  will  never  make  such  a  showing  as 
she  made  last  year. 

MR.  H.  H,  LANG,  OF  ONTARIO,  CANADA:  Mr.  President  and  Gen- 
tlemen: Owing  to  the  fact  that  I  am  obliged  to  leave  the  sessions  of 
your  Congress  now,  owing  to  an  engagement  in  New  York  tomorrow 
morning,  I  wish,  before  leaving,  to  tender  my  thanks  to  the  American 
Mining  Congress  now  assembled  here  for  its  kindness  in  extending  invi- 
tations to  mining  districts  in  Canada  for  delegates  to  attend  its  assembly 
at  this  time. 

Being  the  only  delegate  taking  part  in  your  assembly  from  Canada,  I 
feel  it  my  duty  to  in  some  way  recognize  the  kindness  not  only  of  this 
Congress  but  of  your  nation  in  recognizing  the  country  from  which  I  come 
in  this  great  meeting  on  this  great  subject. 

Gentlemen,  I  believe  that  this  is  only  the  beginning.  I  wish  also  to 
say  this  that  I  believe  that  perhaps  we  have  as  great  mineral  resources 
in  the  country  to  the  north  of  you  as  you  have  here,  and  we  can  hardly 
carry  on  this  great  industry  independently  of  each  other.  We  know  today 
that  mining  men  throughout  your  country  are  interested  in  Canada; 
Canadians  are  interested  in  the  United  States,  and  I  believe  this  feeling 
will  grow. 

I  thank  you  very  much,  and  when  I  return  it  will  be  my  pleasant 
duty  to  report  to  the  Minister  of  Mines  of  our  Province  of  the  high  char- 
acter of  this  Congress. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  am  sure  we  accept  this  as  an  expres- 
sion of  the  kindly  appreciation  of  any  courtesy  that  may  have  been  ex- 
tended to  the  gentleman.  We  feel  that  we  may  rest  assured  that  in  the 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  93 

future  we  will  have  the  co-operation  of  the  mining  industries  of  Canada, 
and  their  help  in  solving  some  of  these  great  problems. 

For  the  program  of  this  afternoon,  Congressman  Wilson  being  absent, 
the  discussion  of  the  question,  "Problems  of  the  Coal  Industry,"  will  be 
led  by  Mr.  Frank  M.  Osborne,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Osborn's  address  will  be  found  on  page  66,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  As  I  listened  yesterday  to  the  inspiring 
words  of  the  gentleman  who  will  now  address  you,  he  aroused  in  me  a 
desire  to  hear  him  again.  You  will  now  have  the  privilege  of  listening  to 
Mr.  Dempster. 

DOCTOR  BUCKLEY:  Before  going  ahead  I  would  like  to  make  a 
report  from  the  Resolutions  Committee. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  Resolutions  Committee  under  our 
rules  has  the  right  of  way  when  no  one  has  the  floor,  so  we  will  listen  to 
the  report; 

DOCTOR  BUCKLEY:  The  Committee  on  Resolutions  has  to  report 
back  Resolution  No.  2  by  H.  H.  Gregg,  entitled,  "Protection  to  Zinc  Ore 
Miners,"  and  respectfully  recommends  that  the  resolution  do  pass.  The 
committee  also  reports  back  Resolution  No.  5,  introduced  by  George  J. 
Bancroft,  entitled,  "Referring  to  the  Marianna  Mine  Disaster." 

This  resolution  is  also  reported  back  with  the  recommendation  that 
the  same  do  pass. 

I  would  move  you  that  the  report  of  the  committee  on  Resolution  No. 
2  be  adopted. 

The  motion  was  seconded. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution,  and  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee was  adopted  unanimously. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  Resolution  No.  5. 

DOCTOR  BUCKLEY:  I  move  you  that  the  recommendation  of  the 
committee  on  this  resolution  be  adopted. 

The  motion  was  seconded  and  the  resolution  was  adopted. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  The  Resolutions  Committee  desires  to  report  back 
several  resolutions.  Resolution  No.  1  by  W.  P.  Daniels.  This  resolution 
is  referred  back  to  the  Congress,  the  committee  considering  that  it  has  no 
power  to  act. 

Resolution  No.  4  by  Colonel  A.  G.  Brownlee,  resolution  regarding  duty 
on  lead.  Your  Committee  on  Resolutions  reports  this  resolution  back 
with  the  recommendation  that  it  do  pass. 

Resolution  No.  6,  introduced  by  George  J.  Bancroft,  the  Committee  on 
Resolutions  reports  this  resolution  back  with  the  recommendation  that 
it  do  pass.  This  Resolution  is  relative  to  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey. 

Resolution  No.  8  by  David  B.  Rushmore,  regarding  co-operation  with 
the  American  Institute  of  Mining  Engineers.  This  resolution  is  reported 
back  by  the  committee  with  the  recommendation  that  the  same  do  pass. 

I  would  move  you  that  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Resolution  No. 
1  by  Mr.  W.  P.  Daniels,  be  approved  by  the  Congress. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  Resolution  No.  1. 

MR.    DEMPSTER:     I  second  the  motion. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that 
the  resolutions  just  read  be  adopted  on  the  report  of  the  committee. 

MR.  DANIELS:     I  would  second  the  motion  to  adopt. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  All  in  favor  of  the  motion  say  aye;  con- 
trary, no. 

The  ayes  seem  to  have  it. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:     Wlhat  was  the  motion? 
PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     Adopt,  and  appoint  a  committee  as  rec- 
ommended. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  The  motion  was  that  the  recommendation  of  the 
committe  be  adopted  by  this  Congress.  That  is  the  motion  that  was  pre- 
sented by  me, 


94  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  did  not  understand  the  motion,  then. 
You  have  evidently  voted  under  a  misapprehension.  The  Chair  has  not 
yet  declared  the  vote  so  that  the  matter  may  be  cleared  up. 

"Your  Committee  on  Resolutions  having  had  under  consideration 
Resolution  No.  1,  introduced  by  W.  P.  Daniels,  do  respectfully  recommend 
that  said  resolution  be  referred  back  to  the  Congress,  the  committee  con- 
sidering that  it  has  no  power  to  act." 

That  is  the  recommendation  of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions. 

MR.  DANIELS:  Mr.  President,  that  motion  to  adopt  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  committee  does  not  recommend,  but  simply  is  a  refer- 
ence of  the  resolution  back  to  this  body.  There  is  no  recommendation,  as 
I  understand  it,  to  adopt — there  is  no  recommendation  of  the  committee 
to  act  on  it.  Consequently,  I  make  the  point  of  order  that  the  motion  to 
adopt  the  recommendation  of  the  committee,  when  there  is  no  recom- 
mendation there,  is  out  of  order. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  Chair  said  that  he  stated  the  motion 
under  a  misapprehension. 

MR.  DANIELS:  And  I  seconded  it  under  a  misapprehension.  So  I 
say  there  was  no  motion  because  we  started  anew,  and  it  is  now  for  the 
consideration  of  the  Congress  as  to  what  it  wishes  to  do  with  it.  I  now 
move  the  adoption  of  that  resolution  by  this  Congress,  and  if  I  can  get  a 
second,  I  will  be  glad  to  try  in  my  feeble  way,  to  explain  why  I  believe 
it  should  be  adopted. 

MR.  ROCKWELL:  For  the  purpose  of  bringing  it  before  the  Con- 
gress, I  second  the  motion. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  motion  to  adopt  the 
resolution;  are  you  ready  for  the  question? 

The  question  was  called  for. 

MR.  DANIELS:  Mr.  President,  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Congress: 
The  resolution  is  reported  back  to  you  by  the  committee  because  it  be- 
lieves it  is  without  authority  to  act  upon  it — that,  as  I  understand  from 
the  committee,  this  Congress  has  no  authority  and  no  right  under  its 
by-laws  to  adopt  such  a  resolution,  but  that  on  the  other  hand  the  resolu- 
tion must  go  to  the  members  only,  and  that  they  only  may  say  as  to 
whether  or  not  a  committe  shall  be  appointed  to  investigate  the  laws  and 
report  amendments. 

The  American  Mining  Congress  is  a  slightly  complex  organization.  It 
started  out  by  being  a  purely  voluntary  organization.  All  of  its  members 
were  delegates  appointed  by  commercial  and  other  organizations  of  that 
character  and  by  municipal  and  state  authorities.  Under  those  laws  and 
with  its  meetings  at  that  time  it  was  in  a  condition  which  the  president  de- 
scribed one. year  ago  as  being  neither  respected  nor  respectable.  There 
have  been  some  material  steps  tiken  to  make  it  resoprtable.  but  un- 
fortunately it  is  not  yet  in  a  good  many  places  respected.  It  does  not 
command  the  respect,  in  a  good  many  places,  of  the  people  who  ought 
to  be  members  of  the  organization  and  contribute  to  its  support. 

First,  if  you  will  permit  me,  I  will  explain  as  briefly  as  I  can,  that  the 
American  Mining  Congress  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Colorado, 
principally  in  order  to  enable  it  to  hold  property  legally.  That  incorpora- 
tion provides  that  only  members  may  act  upon  certain  matters.  Those 
matters  are  the  actual  adoption  of  laws  and  the  election  of  its  officers. 

May  I  ask  the  secretary  how  many  members  there  are,  including 
delegates,  approximately. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  There  are  more  than  500  delegates 
registered.  I  suppose  the  number  of  members  of  the  organization  who 
are  present  is  something  like  fifty. 

MR.  DANIELS:  The  secretary  advises  me  that  there  are  present  at 
this  Congress,  including  both  members  of  the  Congress  and  delegates  ap- 
pointed, something  over  500.  Out  of  that  500  there  are  only  about  ten 
per  cent,  who  have  authority  to  make  the  laws  and  to  elect  officers.  Now, 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  95 

I  believe  that  is  one  thing  that  should  be  changed  just  as  soon  as  condi- 
tions will  make  it  practicaoJe  to  make  that  change.  But  this  resolution 
does  not  amend  the  law.  It  does  not  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  elec- 
tion of  officers;  it  does  not  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  right  that  is 
exclusively  with  the  members  to  change  the  law.  It  simply  provides  for 
a  committee  to  be  appointed  by  your  president  who  shall  examine  its 
present  laws,  report  to  the  next  annual  session,  twelve  months  hence,  such 
a  revision  of  the  laws  as  will  be  consistent  with  amendments  already 
made  by  the  members  looking  to  the  organization  of  local  bodies  by  the 
national  organization. 

Now  you  gentlemen  who  are  here  as  delegates  are  just  as  much  and 
possibly  a  little  more  interested  in  that  than  I  am  interested  as  a  mem- 
ber. I  believe  it  is  entirely  within  your  province  to  say  whether  a  com- 
mittee of  that  character  shall  be  appointed  or  not.  The  amendments  to 
the  law  which  are  contemplated  by  the  resolution  at  some  time  in  the 
future  will  if  adopted  take  away  from  you  your  membership  as  dele- 
gates. I  believe  with  the  gentleman  who  spoke  a  few  moments  ago,  that 
you  should  be  interested  enough  in  the  American  Mining  Congress  to  be- 
come members  with  us,  and  enjoy  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  mem- 
bers. Whether  the  time  has  yet  arrived  when  that  can  be  done  for  the 
best  interests  of  the  organization  or  not,  I  do  not  know.  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  say  as  to  that,  but  I  do  believe  that  the  time  has  arrived  when 
it  is  up  to  the  members  of  this  Congress  to  consider  as  to  whether  or  not 
they  shall  in  the  future  take  that  step.  It  is  a  notorious  fact  in  several 
of  the  past  sessions  of  the  Congress  that  delegates  have  attended  and 
taken  part  in  the  business  of  the  Congress  who  have  had 
no  more  interest  in  mining  than  I  have  in  the  government  of  China.  I 
do  not  believe  that  that  is  quite  as  it  should  be.  It  seems  to  me  that  a 
Mining  Congress  should  be  composed  of  those  who  are  interested  in  that 
industry.  It  is  also  a  notorious  fact  that  any  one  who  asks  for  it,  it  does 
not  make  any  difference  who  it  is,  anyone  who  asks  for  it,  can  get  an  ap- 
pointment— yes,  he  can  get  forty  appointments  as  a  delegate  to  this  Con- 
gress. I  venture  to  say  that  if  I  took  the  pains  to  do  it  and  to  start  thirty 
days  before  the  meeting  of  the  Congress  I  could  come  here  as  a  delegate 
from  at  least  three-fourths  of  the  states  of  these  United  States. 

Now,  we  are.  pleased  to  have  the  delegates  with  us,  those  that  repre- 
sent the  mining  industry,  but  we  want  you  with  us  a  little  closer,  just  as 
soon  as  it  is  practicable  to  come  to  that  point.  We  want  you,  as  the 
speaker  said  a  while  ago,  to  march  up  to  the  captain's  office  and  sign  your 
application  and  help  us  support  the  organization — make  it  a  business  or- 
ganization. I  believe  that  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  adoption 
of  the  resolution  by  this  Congress  if  the  question  is  settled  in  your  minds 
as  to  whether  or  not  we  have  the  authority  to  adopt  it  here. 

It  seems  to  me  that  there  ought  not  to  be  any  question  as  to  the 
authority  because,  as  I  have  explained,  and  the  president  will  bear  me  out 
in  the  statements  that  I  have  made  as  to  the  rights  of  members,  it  is 
true  that  this  committee,  if  appointed,  will  have  to  do  with  the  by-laws. 
It  does  not,  however,  amend  them  in  any  way.  It  simply  considers  the 
matter  and  makes  a  report  to  the  next  Congress,  referring  it  to  the  mem- 
bers then  to  use  their  judgment  as  to  whether  or  not  its  report  shall  be 
adopted  and  enacted  into  law.  Now,  if  there  is  any  doubt  in  regard  to 
the  right  of  this  Congress  and  the  right  of  the  delegates  to  vote  on  this 
motion,  I  would  like  to  have  the  matter  made  distinct,  the  point  raised 
and  decided  in  some  way  before  an  actual  vote  is  taken  on  the  resolution 
itself.  Possibly  the  decision  on  that  point  as  to  the  authority  would 
make  it  entirely  unnecessary  to  have  any  vote  on  the  resolution  itself. 
It  seems  to  me,  however,  that  it  ought  to  be  absolutely  plain  that  you 
delegates  who  are  directly  interested  in  the  outcome  of  the  report  of  a 
committee,  if  it  shall  be  appointed,  should  have  something  to  say  as  to 
whether  or  not  such  an  appointment  should  be  made. 


96  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

The  only  aim  that  I  have  in  view  is  to  build  up  this  Mining  Congress 
and  to  make  of  it  a  business  organization  which  shall  be  not  only  respect- 
ble  but  which  shall  command  the  respect  of  every  mining  man,  and  every 
other  man  in  the  whole  broad  country.  Why,  it  is  less  than  thirty  days 
ago,  on  the  streets  of  my  own  home  city,  the  city  where  the  first  mining 
Congress  ever  gathered,  I  asked  a  gentleman  why  he  had  not  joined  the 
Mining  Congress.  "Oh,"  he  says,  "the  Mining  Congress  is  a  farce."  He 
said,  "If  I  want  to  be  a  member  I  can  get  appointed  any  time  that  T  want 
to,  and  I  can  attend  the  Congress  and  take  part  in  it  just  as  much  as  you 
can,  and  what  is  the  use  of  my  joining,  putting  up  my  money  to  be  a 
member  when  I  can  get  a  dozen  appointments  if  I  want  them."  I  do  not 
believe  that  there  is  a  business  man  present  who  will  not  agree  with  me 
that  we  should  do  either  the  one  thing  or  the  other;  we  should  either 
make  this  an  organization  with  its  own  members  exclusively  transacting 
its  business  or  we  should  do  away  with  the  membership  and  throw  it 
open  as  it  was  originally  to  anyone  that  any  mayor,  any  governor,  any 
president  of  a  chamber  of  commerce,  or  any  president  of  any  other  com- 
mercial organization,  may  appoint  as  delegate  to  come  here  and  sit  and 
transact  business. 

I  do  not  want  to  take  up  your  time  needlessly,  but  I  am  very  much 
interested  in  the  matter  of  the  adoption  of  this  resolution,  and  I  sin- 
cerely trust  that  it  will  be  adopted  even  if  there  be  a  question  as  to  the 
risrht  of  this  Congress  with  the  delegates  voting  to  appoint  such  a  com- 
mittee. You  can  at  least  express  your  wish  upon  the  adoption  or  the  re- 
jection of  the  resolution,  and  I  believe  if  you  vote  in  favor  of  its  adop- 
tion that  the  members,  if  they  feel  impelled  to  act  upon  it  afterwards,  will 
abide  by  your  wish. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  On  behalf  of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  I 
simply  desire  to  make  a  statement.  This  resolution  requests  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  committee  that  shall  recommend  back  to  the  Congress  an 
amendment  to  the  constitution  eliminating  the  delegate  feature  of  this 
organization.  I  simply  wish  to  say  that  there  is  a.  way  to  eliminate  the 
delegate  feature  of  this  organization  that  is  provided  for  by  the  constitu- 
tion of  this  Congress.  The  section  which  governs  that  can  be  read  by 
any  member,  or  can  be  read  by  the  secretary.  I  say  there  is  a  proper 
way  to  secure  amendment  to  the  constitution  governing  this  feature  if 
it  is  desired,  and  I  do  not  think  it  is  necessary  or  proper  that  a  resolu- 
tion should  be  introduced  and  referred  to  the  Resolutions  Committee, 
instructing  them  to  appoint  a  committee  to  investigate  and  find  out 
whether  they  shall  propose  an  amendment  eliminating  the  delegate 
feature. 

I  would  say  for  the  information  of  the  gentleman  who  introduced  this 
resolution  that  if  this  resolution  had  not  been  referred  back  to  the  Con- 
gress in  this  manner  it  would  have  been  referred  back  with  the  recom- 
mendation that  it  do  not  pass.  We  do  not  question  the  right  of  this 
Congress  to  take  any  action  that  it  may  see  fit.  They  can  pass  any  kind 
of  a  resolution  that  they  choose  to  pass.  It  is  a  body  that  governs  itself, 
and  it  can  pass  any  resolution;  we  do  not  question  that  whatever.  But 
we  believe  that  there  is  a  proper  method  of  securing  such  an  amendment 
if  it  is  desired  by  this  Congress,  and  we  believe  that  that  method  should 
be  pursued. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  do  not  desire  to 
cut  off  this  discussion  and  I  am  very  anxious  that  it  shall  go  on.  but 
there  are  two  gentlemen  here  with  papers  who  ought  to  be  heard  at  this 
time,  and  there  are  a  number  of  genti^mon  here  who  came  specifically 
to  hear  these  papers  presented,  and  I  therefore  think  this  discussion 
should  be  postponed. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  The  Resolutions  Committee,  if  so  desired,  will  give 
way  to  these  gentlemen,  in  order  that  we  may  hear  their  papers. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  97 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  To  make  it  clear  to  you,  it  seems  neces- 
sary that  the  chair  make  a  ruling  upon  this  question.  This  is  a  legally 
incorporated  body,  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Colorado, 
and  only  members  have  anything  to  say  about  its  legal  organization. 
This  question  of  a  delegate  system  has  come  up  at  every  s-rssiou  during 
the  last'six  years.  I  know  Mr.  Daniels'  good  fnith,  ard  I  know  what  he 
is  striving  to  do.  That  is  why  I  did  not  interrupt  him  before.  But 
what  has  a  delegate  to  do  with  the  legal  existence  of  a  corporation  when 
he  is  invited  here  more  as  a  guest  to  take,  part  in  helping  solve  these 
questions,  and  to  show  to  those  delegates,  if  possible,  that  this  Congress 
is  worthy  of  their  respect  and  confidence,  in  the  hope  that  they  will  take 
hold  and  help  us  make  this  organization  what  it  should  be.  (Applause.) 
Therefore  the  chair  rules  that  this  is  not  in  order,  and  therefore  it  will 
be  necessary,  to  raise  it  again,  to  take  an  appeal  to  this  body. 

MR.  DANIELS:  Mr.  President,  I  desire  now  to  give  notice  that  I 
shall  appeal  from  the  decision  and  ask  the  floor  on  that  appeal,  after  those 
gentlemen  have  been  heard. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  On  yesterday  we  had  on  the  program 
under  the  subject,  "Conservation  in  the  Coal  Mining  Industry,"  Mr.  G. 
W.  Traer,  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  who  was  not  then  with  us,  but  he  is  now 
with  us,  and  we  will  have  the  privilege  of  listening  to  him. 

Mr.  Traer's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  152,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 
PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  This  pap'er  and  the  one  that  is  just  to 
follow  I  believe  justifies  our  gathering  here.  I  know  we  will  have  a 
treat  in  the  paper  that  is  now  to  be  given  by  Mr.  White,  "The  Barren 
Zone  of  the  Northern  Appalachian  Coal  Field  and  Its  Relation  to  Pitts- 
burg's  Industries,"  by  Dr.  I.  C.  White,  State  Geologist,  Morgantown,  West 
Virginia. 

DR.  I.  C.  WHITE,  O'F  WEST  VIRGINIA:  I  will  take  a  moment  or 
two  of  your  time  to  explain  these  diagrams.  The  Appalachian  coal  field, 
as  most  of  you  know,  is  a  long  boot-shaped  area,  beginning  in  Northern 
Pennsylvania  and  extending  southward  parallel  to  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains, and  in  fact  in  the  Alleghanies  through  Western  Pennsylvania,  West 
Virginia,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Alabama.  It  was  formerly  sup- 
posed that  this  central  area  would  be  richer  than  any  other  portion  of  the 
Appalachian  field.  A  few  years  ago  I  discovered  that  the  great  Pittsburg 
bed  after  coming  down  through  Northern  West  Virginia  into  this  central 
zone,  which  it  underlies  at  a  depth  of  four  to  a  thousand  feet  below  the 
surface,  suddenly  disappears.  It  might  be  of  interest  to  tell  you  how  I 
learned  that  fact. 

For  many  years  I  was  connected  with  the  university  at  Mbrgantown 
— many  think  I  am  still,  although  I  have  not  been  so  connected  since  1892. 
During  trips  with  my  classes  in  the  field — because  I  always  believe  in 
taking  the  boys  out  to  get  close  to  nature — I  found  that  on  the  Burning 
Springs  which  crosses  the  B.  &  O.  railroad  30  miles  east  of  Parkersburg, 
there  was  no  Pittsburg  coal.  And  then  later  I  learned  by  inspection  of 
bore  holes  near  Upper  Glades,  in  Webster  county,  that  what  little  coal 
was  there  was  of  not  much  importance. 

I  probably  saved  one  man  a  large  amount  of  money,  and  it  may  in- 
cerest  you  to  know  just  the  way.  The  late  Senator  Camden  knew  of  the 
building  of  the  Western  railroad  long  before  anyone  else  did,  and  sup- 
posing, as  everyone  else  did  at  that  time,  that  this  entire  area  was 
filled  with  Pittsburg  coal,  he,  like  any  other  citizen,  thought  it  would  be 
a  good  thing  to  take  up  some  coal  land  there,  and  the  farmers  did  not  know 
or  did  not  suspect  that  they  had  coal,  or  if  they  had,  it  was  so  deep  that 
they  thought  it  would  never  be  of  any  value,  and  they  were  glad  to 
auction  their  land  at  the  low  sum  of  $5.00  per  acre.  Mr.  Camden  had 
taken  up  about  100,000  acres  along  the  line  of  that  railway.  I  happened 
to  be  on  the  train  with  him  one  day,  and  he  asked  me  about  this  in- 
vestment. Now,  as  I  thought  that  the  coal  disappeared  somewhere  be- 


98  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

tween  Wheeling  and  Eureka,  below  Sistersville,  where  that  great  bridge 
crosses  the  O'hio  river,  I  told  him  that  he  ought  to  be  careful,  that  $5,000 
while  to  many  meant  so  much  was  not  a  great  deal  of  money  to  him; 
and  that  while  oil  wells  had  reported  coal  near  the  line  where  he  was 
taking  the  land  up,  they  did  not  drill  for  coal,  they  were  after  oil,  and 
hence  it  might  be  possible  there  was  no  coal  there  of  value,  so  I  advised 
him  to  put  down  a  bore  hole  with  diamond  drill,  and  take  out  a  core  and 
see  what  there  was  there.  The  senator  being  a  level-headed  business 
man  at  once  acted  on  the  suggestion.  He  had  a  diamond  drill  hole  put 
down  near  Pine  Grove,  within  two  miles  of  where  the  oil-well  borings 
had  reported  five  feet  of  coal.  To  his  surprise,  when  they  got  down  to 
where  the  Pittsburg  bed  should  be,  he  found  three  feet  of  black  slate  and 
two  feet  of  coal.  He  was  not  consulting  me  at  the  time,  and  thought  it 
could  not  possibly  be  the  Pittsburg  coal,  and  went  200  feet  lower  and 
still  no  coal.  The  origin  of  the  name  "Pine  Grove"  is  a  ridge  there,  and 
it  was  thought  possible  that  the  coal  had  locally  thinned  away  on  the 
crest  of  that  ridge,  so  he  concluded  to  go  a  couple  of  miles  below,  near 
the  mouth  of  Piney,  where  an  oil  well  had  reported  six  feet  of  coal,  and 
to  go  so  close  to  that  boring  that  there  could  not  be  any  question  concern- 
ing the  test.  There  they  put  down  another  hole,  and  there  they  got  one 
foot  11  inches  of  coal  and  a  little  black  slate.  Of  course  he  cancelled 
the  leases.  Subsequently  the  oil  well  people  drilled  all  over  that  country, 
and  I  was  enabled  by  taking  advantage  of  the  borings — hundred  of  them 
— to  delimit  the  area  of  the  Pittsburg  coal. 

S>o  much  for  the  Pittsburg  coal,  which  has  been  on  my  map  ever 
since  my  map  was  constructed.  It  was  supposed  that  the  Alleghany 
coal  and  the  Clarion  coal  would  furnish  the  richest,  or  a  very  rich  strata 
in  this  central  portion  of  the  Appalachian  field.  To  my  surprise,  on  exam- 
ining the  drillings,  test  holes  of  every  description,  where  I  have  seen  the 
sand  pumping,  the  results  have  been  that  I  find  that  over  vast  areas  in 
this  central  part  of  the  state  of  West  Virginia,  and  also  southwestern 
Pennsylvania,  there  are  no  Alleghany  coals.  They  are  gone.  And  I 
repeat  here  that  there  is  no  coal  under  Pittsburg.  It  was  formerly  sup- 
posed there  was  plenty  of  it.  One  of  your  great  coal  men,  Captain  Brown, 
who  I  presume  at  one  time  thought  he  would  steal  a  march  on  the  rest 
of  you,  came  slyly  on  the  Monongahela  river — I  do  not  know  that  he  did 
it  slyly,  except  that  there  was  never  any  noise  made  about  it — and  sank 
a  shaft  to  find  the  Freeport  coals,  and  he  told  me  himself  that  he  did  not 
find  it.  He  went  on  lower,  but  did  not  find  any  coal.  There  have  been 
several  borings  put  down  here  right  under  Pittsburg,  of  which  we  have 
very  accurate  records,  and  there  is  practically  no  coal,  or  what  you  would 
call  commercial  coal  here  now.  So  this  great  barren  zone  begins  north 
of  your  city;  as  you  go  under  the  surface  it  soon  disappears,  and  I  find 
that  the  same  thing  is  true  not  only  here  in  Pennsylvania  but  clear  across 
West  Virginia,  as  represented  by  the  blue  line  on  the  map;  so  that  be- 
yond the  point  I  now  indicate  the  Allegheny  coals  are  represented  only 
by  thin  one  or  two-foot  beds,  and  in  insignificant  layers. 

Again,  the  same  thing  happens  to  the  Pocahontas  series.  You  know 
the  Pocahontas  series  of  coal  in  its  extent  northward  or  along  the  river, 
is  simply  a  wedge  20  or  30  miles  wide  that  'underlies  all  the  coal  measures. 
They  are  older  even  that  the  Northern  Pottsville  and  lower  part  of  the 
Pottsville  series,  and  they  fade  away  before  they  get  into  Pennsylvania, 
except  in  the  anthracite  region,  as  they  dip  down  under  the  Allegheny 
series.  Even  the  formation  of  rocks  passes  out.  As  the  Kanawha 
series  and  the  Allegheny  series  pass  under  water  level,  up  in  the  moun- 
tains, up  where  we  can  see  them,  they  are  thick  and  valuable;  when  they 
pass  down  into  this  basin  which  I  now  indicate  they  disappear.  The 
same  thing  happens  when  we  come  in  from  Ohio  passing  down  over  the 
Ohio  side  of  the  Appalachian  field,  they  also  disappear.  Hence  we  are 
led  to  some  philosophy  concerning  the  accumulation  of  these  coals. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  99 

Many  of  you  will  ask,  why  is  it  that  they  disappear  in  toward  the 
center  of  this  place,  where  we  should  have  the  thickest  coal,  where  on 
the  old  theory  the  older  geologists,  as  to  the  central  portion  of  this  area 
— I  have  myself  before  I  knew  much  about  it — dilated  on  that  great 
wealth  of  fuel  that  would  be  found  in  the  center  of  this  Appalachian 
valley.  But  it  is  not  there,  and  you  see  what  an  immense  hole  it  makes 
in  this  Northern  Appalachian  field.  The  reason  and  the  philosophy  of  it 
I  think  is  that  our  coal  measures  accumulated  fringes  around  the  great 
central  basin  covered  with  water;  the  water  was  too  deep  in  this  area 
for  vegetation  to  get  a  foothold,  and  hence  as  we  come  successively 
toward  it,  first  the  lower  formations,  then  higher  and  higher,  as  the  dis- 
tance increased  toward  the  center,  until  they  all  disappeared,  because 
this  area  appears  to  have  been  covered  with  water  too  deep  for  vege- 
tation to  secure  a  foothold. 

Now  that  is  the  matter  that  I  felt  it  a  duty  to  call  your  attention  to 
because  it  is  not  generally  known.  Even  Mr.  Camden,  probably  the  best 
posted  man  in  the  country  generally  on  the  amount  of  coal  in  the  country, 
who  made  an  estimate  which  was  submitted  at  the  White  House  confer- 
ence in  May,  has  not  taken  it  into  account  in  making  up  his  estimates  of 
the  amount  of  coal  in  West  Virginia,  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  and  figures 
that  that  entire  area,  representing  thousands  of  square  miles,  held  as 
much  coal  as  any  other  portion  of  the  field. 

It  have  a  paper  here  to  every  word  of  which  I  wish  you  to  listen, 
because  it  affects  not  only  Pittsburg,  to  which  I  have  called  especial  at- 
tention, but  Chicago;  and  Chicago,  Cleveland,  Buffalo,  EMe  and  these 
great  manufacturing  cities  which  cluster  around  this  northern  end  of 
the  Appalachian  basin,  get  their  metallurgical  coal  and  coke  from  this 
field,  so  it  is  very  important.  With  this  preliminary  statement  I  will 
read  you  this  paper  so  as  to  be  brief. 

Dr.  White's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  166,  Part  II,,  of  this  report. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  We  have  learned  enough  this  afternoon 
to  keep  us  thinking  for  a  long  time. 

This  closes  the  program  of  which  I  have  charge  this  afternoon,  and 
the  convention  will  stand  adjourned  until  8:00  o'clock. 

FRIDAY,    DECEMBER  4,    1908. 

Evening  Session. 

The  Congress  was  called  to  order  by  President  Richards. 
Secretary  Callbreath  read  resolution  No.  18. 

Resolution  No.  18. 
(Introduced  by  W.  F.  R.  Mills  of  Colorado.) 

Whereas,  The  Federal  Government  has  established  at  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
laboratories  for  the  testing  of  the  coal  and  structural  materials  of  the 
United  States,  and  for  the  study  of  explosives,  of  mine  accidents  and  the 
conditions  of  safety  in  coal  mining,  and 

Whereas,  The  proper  conclusion  of  these  investigations  is  vital  to 
the  safety  of  the  men  employed  in  our  mines  and  to  the  prosperity  of 
the  mineral  industry,  and 

Whereas,  Similar  and  extended  investigations  are  necessary  to  the 
proper  development  and  the  wise  conservation  of  our  metalliferous  de- 
posits as  well,  now,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  American  Mining  Congress  expresses  its  hearty 
approval  of  the  steps  so  far  taken  and  the  work  now  under  way,  and  ex- 
tends its  thanks  to  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  to  the 
officers  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  for  this  auspicious  beginning  o* 
the  great  national  work  in  which  it  is  peculiarly  interested,  and  further, 
be  it 


100  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Resolved,  That  we  pledge  our  support  collectively  and  individually 
to  these  investigations  and  respectfully  urge  Congress  to  extend  their 
scope  to  our  other  great  mineral  resources. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  resolution  No.  19. 

Resolution  No.  19. 
(Introduced  by  John  G.  Ross,  of  West  Virginia.) 

Whereas,  Certain  mines  in  the  coal  mining  states  have  been  visited 
by  severe  explosions,  and 

Whereas,  The  impression  is  abroad  that  it  is  impossible  to  decide 
as  to  the  elements  which  have  caused  the  disasters  in  the  coal  mines 
referred  to;  in  our  judgment  there  are  but  two  elements  found  in  these 
mines  which  cause  these  explosions,  and  these  two  elements  are  coal  dust 
and  gas,  which  singly  or  in  conjunction  have  produced  these  violent  ex- 
plosions. We  recognize  the  IMMEDIATE  NECESSITY  of  stating  clearly 
our  opinion  as  to  the  remedies  to  be  applied  to  prevent  a  recurrence  of 
these  terrible  disasters,  and 

Whereas,  Many  authorities  recommend  that  the  roof,  sides  and 
bottom  of  all  dry  and  dusty  sections  of  the  mines  be  kept  thoroughly 
wet  by  systematic  watering;  that  a  record  shall  be  kept  by  the  mine 
foreman  or  some  competent  person  appointed  by  him  of  the  amount  of 
water  used,  the  time  expended,  the  sections  watered  and  the  dates  on 
which  such  labors  were  performed;  that  this  record  shall  at  all  times  be 
kept  open  for  examination  by  the  inspector,  and  that  at  the  end  of  each 
month  a  copy  of  the  same  be  sent  to  the  district  inspector  accompanied 
by  a  sworn  statement  as  to  its  accuracy,  and 

Whereas,  We  believe  if  a  strict  compliance  be  had  with  the  present 
statutes  of  the  state,  many  of  the  dangers  arising  from  the  liberation  of 
explosive  gas  will  be  eliminated,  and 

Whereas,  We  realize  the  danger  of  depending  upon  brattice  in  gassy 
mines  to  ventilate  the  working  places  at  a  distance  in  excess  of  60  to 
100  feet  between  break-throughs,  which  distance  is  already  prescribed 
by  many  of  the  states.  Our  reasons  for  especially  mentioning  this  pre- 
caution are  that  by  the  excessive  use  of  brattice  it  is  impossible  to  main- 
tain adequate  ventilation  to  dilute,  render  harmless,  and  carry  away 
explosive  gas  or  gases,  and  further,  this  practice  endangers  the  loss  of 
the  air  current  entirely  in  the  working  place  by  falls  of  roof  and  by  tearing 
down  of  the  brattice  by  cars  or  mules  or  by  careless  miners,  now,  there- 
fore, be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  practical  details  of  mine  operation,  the  violations 
of  which  cause  these  disasters,  must  be  given  serious  attention  IMME- 
DIATELY, and 

Resolved,  That  competent  men,  properly  qualified,  shall  be  placed 
in  charge  of  our  mines,  as  mine  foremen,  assistant  mine  foremen  and 
fire  bosses,  and 

Resolved,  That  this  can  be  best  brought  about  by  placing  upon  the 
statute  books  a  law  conferring  authority  upon  the  proper  official  to  con- 
duct examinations,  as  a  basis  for  the  issuance  of  certificates  of  compe- 
tency to  mine  foremen,  assistant  mine  foremen  and  fire  bosses,  in  whose 
hands  rest  the  safety  of  these  miners  and  the  preservation  of  property, 
and  be  it 

Resolved  further,  That  we  recommend  authority  be  given  to  revoke 
these  certificates  for  sufficient  cause,  which  shall  be  fully  set  forth  in 
the  statute. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  The  Resolutions  Committee  reported  back  this 
afternoon  resolution  No.  6,  by  George  J.  Bancroft,  which  is  a  resolution 
regarding  the  United  States  Geological  Survey.  I  would  move  that  the 
report  of  the  committee,  which  recommends  its  adoption,  be  accepted  by 
the  Congress. 

The  motion  was  seconded. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  101 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution,  and  Dr.  Buckley's  motion 
was  duly  put  and  carried  unanimously. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  8,  introuced  by  David  B.  Rush- 
more,  entitled  "Regarding  Co-operation  With  the  American  Institute 
of  Mining  Engineers,  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  respectfully  recom- 
mends that  said  resolution  do  pass. 

I  would  move  you,  Mr.  President,  the  adoption  of  the  report  of  the 
committee  on  this  resolution. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution,  and  the  motion  prevailed 
unanimously. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  10,  by  George  M.  Esterly,  entitled 
"Relating  to  the  Title  of  Coal  Lands  in  Alaska,"  the  Committee  on  Res- 
olutions do  respectfully  recommend  that  said  resolution  do  pass. 

I  would  move  you,  Mr.  President,  that  the  report  of  the  committee 
upon  this  resolution  be  adopted. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution,  and  the  motion  prevailed 
unanimously. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  4,  introduced  by  Colonel  A.  G. 
Brownlee,  entitled  "Regarding  Duty  on  Lead,"  the  Committee  on  Reso- 
lutions do  respectfully  recommend  that  said  resolution  do  pass. 

Mr.  President,  I  move  you  that  the  report  of  the  committee  on  this 
resolution  be  adopted. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  motion;  are  you 
ready  for  the  question?  If  there  is  no  objection,  the  recommendation 
of  the  committee  will  stand  adopted.  .Hearing  none  it  is  so  ordered. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  17,  introduced  by  Dr.  A.  H.  Purdue, 
"Regarding  State  Mining  Schools,"  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  do  re- 
spectfully recommend  that  said  resolution  do  pass. 

Mr.  President,  I  would  move  you  that  the  report  of  the  committee  on 
this  resolution  be  adopted. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  motion  on  the  reso- 
lution just  read.  Are  you  ready  for  the  question?  If  there  is  no  objection 
the  recommendation  of  the  committee  will  be  adopted.  Hearing  none, 
it  is  so  ordered. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  7,  introduced  by  David  B.  Rush- 
more,  entitled  "Committee  for  Standardization  of  Electric  Practice  in 
Mines,"  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  do  respectfully  recommend  that 
said  resolution  do  pass. 

Mr.  President,  I  would  move  you  that  the  report  of  the  committee 
on  this  resolution  be  adopted. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  motion  in  reference 
to  the  resolution  just  read.  Are  you  ready  for  the  question?  If  there  is 
no  objection,  the  recommendation  of  the  committee  will  be  adopted. 
Hearing  none,  it  is  so  ordered. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  This  brings  us  up  to  the  program  of  the 
evening.  The  subject  is  "Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Mining  Industry." 
The  leader  in  this  discussion  is  Thomas  L.  Lewis,  President  of  the 
United  Mine  Workers  of  America,  of  Bridgeport,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Lewis  address  will  be  found  on  page  235,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

MR.  JOHN  H.  WALKER,  OF  ILLINOIS:  I  would  like  to  make  a 
statement  with  reference  to  some  remarks  made  by  Mir.  Tfaer,  of  the 
Illinois  Coal  Operators'  Association,  this  afternoon. 

Some  of  our  members  wanted  to  leave  on  the  train  and  they  would 
like  to  have  it  before  they  leave. 

Mr.  Chairman,  it  is  in  justice  to  our  organization  as  well  as  for 
the  benefit  of  some  of  the  workers  in  our  industry  in  other  portions  of 
the  country  who  are  trying  to  get  legislation  on  the  subjects  that  were 


102  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

mentioned,  that  we  desire  to  have  this  statement  made.  Mtr.  Traer 
today  made  the  statement  that  the  miners  in  Illinois  had  by  the  U.  M. 
W.  of  A.  got  the  industry  in  that  shape  that  so  far  as  men  going  into  the 
mines  was  concerned,  they  would  be  in  the  same  position  as  a  man  who 
wanted  to  get  into  the  oil  business  would  be  if  the  directors  of  the  Stand- 
ard Oil  Company  had  the  determining  of  those  who  went  into  that  in- 
dustry. Mr.  Chairman,  it  may  be  some  information  to  the  members  of 
this  Congress  to  know  that  Mr.  Traer,  who  is  president  of  the  Illinois 
Coal  Operators'  Association,  along  with  Mr.  Bent,  who  was  secretary  of 
that  organization,  agreed  in  sub-committee  to  that  law  itself,  with  myself 
and  another  member  of  our  organization  acting  on  that  committee  for 
our  organization,  before  it  was  presented  to  the  two  boards,  and  that  the 
entire  executive  board  of  the  Illinois  Coal  Operators'  Association  agreed 
to  that  law  as  it  stands  on  the  books  today  before  it  was  presented  to 
the  legislature  of  that  state. 

According  to  his  own  figures  as  presented  to  this  body,  last  year's 
statistics  show  an  increase  of  $10,000,000.00  in  the  output  of  coal  from  the 
state  of  Illinois,  and  the  miners  only  worked  an  average  of  196  days 
during  that  year.  I  want  to  ask  if  that  looks  as  if  the  law  was  hindering 
the  coal  operators  from  getting  a  sufficient  supply  of  miners  to  work 
in  their  mines.  And  during  the  year  just  passed,  or  the  time  that  estimate 
was  made  from,  I  believe  if  the  actual  figures  were  here  we  would  find 
that  we  did  not  work  one-half  of  the  actual  working  days  that  we  could 
have  operated.  During  that  time  there  has  been  an  increase  of  10,000 
miners  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  I  want  to  ask  if  that  looks  as  if  this  law 
was  restricting  the  supply  of  labor  in  that  industry  in  our  state.  Mr. 
Chairman,  I  do  not  know  of  a  man  in  the  coal  industry  that  I  have  more 
respect  for  or  a  higher  regard  for  than  I  have  for  Glen  Trear,  but,  as 
I  told  him  today,  I  never  heard  him  in  my  life  make  such  an  unfair  state- 
ment as  he  did  on  that  subject  to  this  Congress  today. 

With  reference  to  the  bonus  placed  on  the  miners  because  of  the 
shooting  of  coal  from  the  solid  in  that  state  and  for  the  use  of  powder 
in  a  reckless  manner,  I  want  to  say  he  had  reference  to  the  shot-firing 
law  in  the  same  statement,  it  is  evident  that  as  a  result  of  that  shot- 
firing  law  in  the  state  of  Illinois  for  the  first  year  we  were  freer  from 
accident  than  usual  as  compared  with  previous  years.  There  was  50 
per  cent  decrease  in  the  loss  of  life  in  accidents  in  the  industry  in  our 
state  from  accidents  due  to  the  careless  or  accidental  misuse  of  powder. 

Since  that  time  in  the  comparative  statistics  there  is  shown  for  some- 
where in  the  neighborhood  of  four  years,  a  reduction  of  26  per  cent  of 
accidents  and  deaths  from  that  source,  notwithstanding  that  that  per- 
centage estimate  is  based  without  taking  into  consideration  that  there 
has  been  15,000  more  miners  in  the  state  since  that  time,  so  that  the 
original  estimate  of  50  per  cent  reduction  in  accidents  and  loss  of  life 
from  powder  would  apply  all*  the  way  through,  as  the  result  of  that  law. 

When  the  shot-firing  law  was  made  the  operators  succeeded  in 
getting  a  limitation  placed  upon  the  amount  of  powder  that  made  neces- 
sary shot-firers,  all  under  two  pounds  of  powder  can  be  shot  by  the 
miners  themselves.  Coal  operators  over  an  entire  district  where  they 
have  machines  in  the  mines  and  use  less  than  two  pounds  of  powfler, 
came  to  our  joint  executive  meeting,  asking  that  they  be  given  shot-firers 
in  their  mines.  Their  coming  of  themselves  is  plain  evidence  that  they 
realize  the  benefit  which  it  has  been  in  saving  of  life  and  limb.  And  in 
that  way  I  want  to  say  without  desiring  to  reflect  on  those  operators 
that  the  cost  for  liability  damage  suits  was  their  main  reason  for  coming 
in  there  and  asking  that  they  get  shot-firers  in  that  particular  district. 

There  were  many  reasons  why  coal  has  been  shot  and  is  being  shot 
in  the  manner  it  is  at  the  present  time  in  our  state. 

Prior  to  the  establishment  of  our  organization  we  had  what  is  known 
as  the  screen  coal  system;  the  operators  sold  the  powder  and  the  coal 
that  went  through  an  inch  and  a  quarter  screen  he  got  for  nothing.  He 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  103 

made  a  profit  on  the  powder,  he  got  all  the  coal  that  went  through  that 
screen  for  nothing,  and  he  hired  miners  who  would  use  the  most  powder 
and  give  him  the  most  fine  coal.  And  when  the  first  agreement  was  made 
it  was  based  on  that  condition  of  mining,  and  it  is  with  bad  grace  that 
any  operator  comes  before  a  body  with  a  knowledge  of  the  facts  in  the 
case  and  tries  to  lead  them  to  believe  that  the  miners  of  that  state  are 
responsible  for  this  condition,  because  there  are  no  men  who  fought 
harder  against  the  establishment  of  that  condition  than  the  practical 
miners  who  were  in  that  state  in  advance  of  the  operators  themselves. 

Mr.  Traer  may  ha^e  done  it  innocently  or  for  the  purpose  of  a  joke, 

I  cannot  say,  but  it  puts  the  miners  in  a  wrong  position  in  the  matter, 
if  we  allowed  his  statement  to  go  uncorrected,  and  if  this  is  putting  the 
operators  right  to  their  dislike  they  have  only  Mr.  Traer  to  blame  for  it. 
(Applause.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  An  adjourned  meeting  of  the  members 
of  the  Congress,  from  the  Schenley  Hotel  last  evening,  will  be  held  at 

II  o'clock  tomorrow  in  this  hall. 

We  have  with  us  Mr.  J.  G.  Beard,  representing  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Mine  Directors,  who  will  make  a  short  statement  if  he  is 
present. 

MR.  J.  G.  BEARD,  SCRANTON,  PA.:  Mr.  Chairman  and  Members 
of  the  American  Mining  Congress:  I  have  asked  for  a  few  moments 
in  behalf  of  our  association,  of  our  institute  of  the  Mine  Inspectors 
of  America  to  extend  to  this  Congress  our  felicitation  and  our  feelings 
of  assurance  of  co-operation  with  the  American  Mining  Congress  in  the 
work  that  they  have  undertaken  to  do.  It  may  not  be  known  to  all  of 
us,  in  fact  it  was  not  known  to  the  members  of  our  own  institute  until 
recently  that  so  many  of  our  members  were  members  of  this  Congress. 
There  were  some  50  or  60,  possibly  70  of  our  members  present,  and  in 
a  short,  brief  meeting  this  morning  they  wanted  to  make  this  statement 
that  we  have  drawn  up.  You  have  not  heard  from  these  men  as  you 
might  have  expected  to  have  heard  if  they  were  present  in  such  a  body, 
for  one  particular  reason  which  I  think  all  will  appreciate.  The  mine 
inspector  perhaps  above  everybody  else  is  a  conservative  man.  He  is 
a  man  that  says  very  little  in  public,  and  he  is  very  cautious  about  what 
he  does  say,  and  for  this  reason  our  mine  inspectors  have  not  been  heard 
from  as  they  might  have  been  expected  to  have  been  in  a  congress  like 
this.  But  in  a  meeting  this  morning  they  expressed  the  desire  to  present 
a  statement  to  this  Congress. 

Some  of  the  statements  incorporated  in  this  brief  expression  may 
seem  to  be  rather  strong,  especially  in  regard  to  the  causes  of  mine  ex- 
plosions. It  was  not  the  idea  or  the  intention  of  our  committee  and  the 
members  of  our  institute  in  any  way  to  make  the  assertion  that  we 
understood  the  cause  of  the  Marianna  explosion.  Of  course  that  would 
be  wholly  premature;  we  know  nothing  as  to  those  causes.  We  know 
nothing  of  the  explosion  as  yet,  but  the  statement  has  been  made  so 
strong  day  before  yesterday  and  again  today  that  these  explosions  are 
a  mystery  and  that  they  cannot  be  understood,  that  what  occurs  in  an 
explosion  of  dust  and  gas  is  so  much  of  a  mystery  that  we  may  expect 
it  at  any  time  and  may  never  expect  to  be  free  from  the  dread  results, 
those  statements  were  made  so  strong  that  we  did  not  consider  after 
three  thoughtful  and  careful  discussions  they  should  be  allowed  to  stand 
without  being  refuted.  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Chairman,  and  beg  to  present 
the  following: 

STATEMENT  OF  THE  MINE  INSPECTORS'  INSTITUTE  OF  AMERICA. 

The  Mine  Inspectors'  Institute  of  the  U.  S.  A.  present  as  the  invited 
guests  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  now  assembled  at  Pittsburg, 
Pa.,  desire  to  thank  the  officers  and  members  of  the  Congress  for  their 


104  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

cordial  invitation  to  be  present  and  confer  with  them  on  matters  of  signal 
concern  to  both  of  these  organizations. 

While  the  American  Mining  Congress  is  a  body  of  mining  men  or- 
ganized for  the  purpose  of  considering  questions  relating  to  the  welfare 
and  safety  of  mining  operations  and  using  their  efforts  to  secure  remedial 
legislation  both  in  state  and  federal  governments. 

The  Mine  Inspectors'  Institute  of  America  is  a  body  composed  of 
all  the  mine  inspectors  of  the  United  States,  organized  for  the  purpose 
of  conferring  together,  and  thus  securing  the  mutual  aid  and  assistance 
of  all  mining  states,  in  ascertaining  not  only  the  causes  that  produce  mine 
explosions,  but  what  measures  can  be  adopted  in  and  about  mines  to 
increase  the  security  of  the  mine  and  the  safety  of  those  who  work 
therein. 

The  members  of  the  Institute  wish  to  take  this  opportunity  of  assert- 
ing with  emphasis,  their  belief  individually  and  collectively,  as  con- 
firmed by  the  life-long  experience  of  its  oldest  members  engaged  in  the 
daily  inspection  of  mines,  that  the  causes  of  mine  explosions  are  known, 
and  that  it  is  possible  by  the  united  efforts  of  all  those  who  have  the  best 
interest  of  the  miner  at  heart,  to  greatly  reduce  the  liability  to  explosion 
of  gas  and  dust  in  mines,  and  eventually  make  the  occupation  of  the 
miner  as  safe  as  the  average  of  other  trades  and  callings. 

In  the  opinion  of  the  members  of  our  Institute,  it  would  be  a  grave 
error  to  allow  the  statement  to  stand  unrebuked  by  this  Congress — 
that  the  causes  of  mine  explosions  are  not  known.  It  is  the  business 
and  concern  of  all  mining  men  and  particularly  of  our  Institute  and  of 
this  Congress  to  ascertain  such  causes.  The  reports  of  the  mine  inspectors 
of  our  several  states  made  subsequent  to  the  terrible  disasters  that  have 
occurred  from  time  to  time  in  this  country,  which  reports  have  been 
widely  published,  have  denned  the  causes  and  in  many  instances  have 
formed  the  basis  of  remedial  measures;  but  in  all  cases  these  published 
reports  of  the  inspectors  made  after  careful  and  painstaking  investiga- 
tions in  the  mine  have  resulted  in  re-establishing  the  confidence  of  the 
miner  and  mining  men  in  general  that  there  is  no  hidden  mystery  in  these 
dread  happenings  that  has  escaped  human  knowledge  and  experience. 

The  Institute  only  expresses  the  feelings  that  arise  in  every  human 
heart  when  it  extends  to  the  'bereaved  families  and  friends  of  the  victims 
of  the  late  lamentable  Marianna  disaster,  the  sympathy  of  every  member 
of  the  Institute. 

The  Mine  Inspectors'  Institute  of  the  United  States  of  America  de- 
sires to  extend  to  the  American  Mining  Congress  their  thanks  and  as- 
surance of  their  hearty  co-operation  in  the  great  work  we  have  under- 
taken to  do. 

(Signed)  TOM  MOSES,  111. 

THOS.  K.  ADAMS,  Pa. 

JOS.  WILLIAMS,  Pa. 

THOS,  H.  PRICE,  Pa. 

W.  H.  TURNER,  Ohio. 

C.  J.  NORWOOD,  Ky. 

J.  A.  SPRINGER.  W.  Va. 

PETER  HANRATY,   Okla. 

J.  G.  BEARD,  Secy,  of  Com.  Pa. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Before  we  adjourn  the  secretary  wants 
to  call  attention  to  some  things  that  are  on  his  table. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  I  have  three  very  important  and  very 
interesting  papers,  but  I  personally  could  not  possibly  read  them  to  you 
tonight.  The  first  is  a  paper  by  Judge  George  F.  Gray,  of  Delaware, 
upon  the  question  of  arbitration,  and  as  much  of  it  will  appear  in  the 
public  press,  and  as  all  of  it  will  be  printed  in  the  proceedings,  I  would 
like  to  ask  your  permission  to  read  it  by  title  and  have  it  appear  in  the 
proceedings. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  105 

Judge  Gray's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  230,  Fart  II..  of  this  report. 

The  next  paper  is  upon  the  same  subject  by  Honorable  Carroll  D. 
Wright,  for  many  years  United  States  Labor  Commissioner  and  now 
the  president  of  Clark  College  of  Worcester,  Mass.  This  is  a  very  in- 
teresting paper,  and  I  would  like  to  ask  for  it  the  same  privilege. 

Mr.  Wright's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  52,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

The  third  is  a  paper  upon  transportation  as  it  affects  the  mining  in- 
dustry, by  Edward  H.  Harriman.  This  is  a  very  lengthy,  a  very  exhaus- 
tive and  a  very  interesting  paper,  but  it  will  be  impossible  for  me,  at 
least,  to  read  it  tonight,  and  as  much  of  this  paper  will  appear  in  the 
newspapers  and  as  all  of  it  will  be  published  in  a  very  short  time  in  our 
proceedings,  I  beg  to  ask  that  this  also  may  be  read  by  title  and  printed 
in  the  proceedings. 

Mr.  Harriman's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  38,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

The  Congress  then  adjourned  until  Saturday,  December  5,  1908,  at 
10  o'clock  a.  m. 

SATURDAY,  DECEMBER  5,  1908. 
Morning  Session. 

The  Congress  was  called  to  order  by  President  Richards. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  Mr.  President,  Resolution  No.  20  has 
been  introduced  and  gone  to  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  without  read- 
ing, the  chairman  insisting  on  having  the  resolution  at  once  in  order 
that  the  committee  might  have  time  to  give  it  consideration. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     We  had  better  read  it. 
SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:      The  committee  has  the  only  copy 
which  was  prepared. 

We  have  a  communication  which  I  know  will  be  of  particular  in- 
terest to  those  who  are  present,  and  I  am  sorry  there  are  not  more  here 
to  get  this  word  of  encouragement  from  the  men  who  today  stands 
pre-eminent  in  the  United  States,  President-elect  William  H.  T'aft. 

PRESIDENT-ELECT   TAFT'S   LETTER. 

Hot  Springs,  Va.,  November  30,  1908. 
My  Dear  Sir: 

I  regret  exceedingly  my  inability  to  accept  your  invitation  to  attend 
and  address  the  American  Mining  Congress  at  its  approaching  session 
in  Pittsburg.  I  am  glad  of  an  opportunity,  however,  to  express  my  in- 
terest in  the  important  work  which  the  Mining  Congress  is  doing  in 
behalf  of  the  mining  industry  and  my  desire  to  encourage  and  to  co- 
operate in  this  work  in  every  possible  way. 

The  mining  industry  in  this  country,  which  is  second  only  to  agri- 
culture in  its  contribution  to  the  national  wealth,  which  furnishes  more 
than  65  per  cent  of  the  total  freight  traffic  of  the  country,  and  which 
employs  more  than  a  million  men  in  its  difficult  and  dangerous  tasks, 
deserves  all  the  assistance  which  this  government  can  render  it.  No 
country  is  so  rich  in  those  resources  which  make  for  great  and  permanent 
wealth  as  is  the  United  States;  but  this  condition  of  itself  has  helped  de- 
velop a  national  habit  of  waste  in  the  use  of  our  forests,  our  soils,  our 
minerals,  and  other  resources.  Fortunately,  however,  the  public  con- 
science of  the  country  is  awakening  to  both  the  loss  of  life  and  waste  of 
materials  in  all  our  industries;  and  we  must  see  to  it  that  the  movement 
is  guided  wisely  and  carried  forward  to  success. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

WM.  H.  TAFT. 
Mr.   James   F.    Callbreath,   Jr.,    Secretary,    American    Mining     Congress, 

Pittsburg,  Pa. 


106  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH :  Along  the  line  of  much  of  the  discus- 
sions of  this  session,  an  editorial  which  came  to  the  office  this  morning, 
published  in  the  Daily  Mining  Record  of  Denver,  Colorado,  being  so  far 
distant  from  the  center  of  coal  production,  seems  to  be  one  of  timely 
interest,  and  one  which  should  be  made  a  part  of  the  records  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  this  Congress.  To  that  end  and  with  your  permission  I  will 
read  this  short  editorial: 

The  Plea  of  the  Dead. 

It  is  an  interesting,  though  tragic,  coincidence  that  the  American 
Mining  Congress  enters  its  session  at  Pittsburg  at  the  very  time  of  the 
frightful  disaster  at  the  Marianna  coal  mines,  a  few  miles  away.  Per- 
haps the  foremost  subject  before  the  gathering  is  that  of  providing  means 
to  increase  the  safety  of  mine  workers.  And  there  is  a  touch  of  irony 
in  the  circumstance  that  the  government  representatives  are  present 
at  Pittsburg  to  attend  the  dedication  of  the  experimental  station,  which 
has  been  established  to  discover  safeguards  against  explosions  in  coal 
mines.  The  one  hundred  or  more  miners,  whose  lives  have  just  been 
sacrificed  to  the  needs  of  society,  will  send  their  memories  to  that 
dedication,  to  plead  more  eloquently  than  all  the  scientific  utterances  that 
may  be  there  addressed. 

This  is  the  time  of  the  year  when  coal  bills  are  presented  to  the 
householder,  and  the  average  citizen  understands  that  comfort  has  its 
expenses.  To  be  reminded,  at  the  same  time,  that  the  cost  of  his  own 
comfort  does  not  cover  the  price  of  horror,  is  for  him  to  wonder  why  he 
regularly  burns  the  bodies  of  suffocated  miners  in  his  home.  If  he  does 
so  wonder,  we  doubt  not  that  he  suggests  his  own  willingness,  if  that 
be  necessary,  to  add  something  to  his  fuel  outlay  for  the  betterment  of 
the  conditions  under  which  he  is  benefited. 

There  is  no  other  problem  before  the  country  that  demands  such 
prompt  attack  as  this.  There  is  scarcely  any  sacrifice  that  the  jnation 
should  not  make  to  satisfy  the  pleas  of  humanity.  Not  only  does  it  fall 
within  the  province  of  the  coal-mining  states,  whose  representatives  are 
in  special  conference  upon  this  subject  during  the  present  week,  to  enact 
effective  legislative  measures,  but  the  national  government  should  be 
continually  urged  to  increase  its  vigilance  and  expenditures  in  this 
direction. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Before  calling  on  the  gentlemen  who  are 
to  address  us  under  the  regular  program  as  announced  on  yesterday  af- 
ternoon the  special  order  of  the  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  Congress 
for  electing  new  directors  is  at  11  o'clock,  so  that  any  one  will  have  the 
right  to  call  that  up  as  a  part  of  the  special  order.  In  our  regular  pro- 
gram we  have  first  on  the  list  "The  Mineral  Resources  of  Virginia," 
by  Mr.  E.  A.  Schubert,  of  Roanoke,  Virginia. 

MR.  SCHUBERT:  Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  of  the  American 
Mining  Congress,  and  Ladies:  Before  entering  on  the  delivery  of  my 
paper  I  desire  to  show  you  a  copy  of  a  work  entitled  "The  Mineral 
Resources  of  Virginia,"  by  Doctor  Thomas  L.  Watson.  Any  person  desir- 
ing a  copy  of  this,  by  giving  me  his  name  and  address  will  be  supplied 
with  the  same  free  of  charge.  I  believe  an  examination  of  this  publica- 
tion will  demonstrate  that  the  Old  Dominion  has  a  book  which  sets  out 
its  possibilities  equal  if  not  superior  to  any  work  of  the  kind  ever  pub- 
lished in  any  of  the  states.  It  is  for  this  purpose  that  I  ask  you  to  accept 
it  with  the  compliments  of  Governor  Swanson  of  the  State  of  Virginia 
if  you  so  desire.  (Applause.)  I  further  desire  to  say  that  I  am  willing 
to  be  one  of  twenty  gentlemen  of  this  convention  to  guarantee  to  the 
American  Mining  Congress  five  members  at  $25.00  each  for  the  ensuing 
year.  (Applause.) 

I  further  desire  to  say  that  there  never  in  my  history  has  been 
another  deliberative  body  of  so  much  profound  thought  and  wherein  sucfi 
timely  suggestions  have  been  offered  as  before  this  convention  in  the 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  107 

City  of  Pittsburg.  I  regret,  however,  and  I  am  saying  this  without  sug- 
gestion from  any  one,  that  we  should  in  convening  this  convention  in 
the  City  of  Pittsburg  receive  criticisms  from  one  of  the  leading  mining 
journals  of  the  United  States  for  bringing  this  Congress  east  of  the 
Mississippi  river.  I  am  sorry  that  such  an  editorial  was  published,  and 
I  only  trust  that  it  was  a  misunderstanding  and  was  not  intentional.  I 
might  add  further  that  what  I  have  to  say  in  this  paper  may  provoke 
some  emphatic  criticism. 

I  am  not  infallible;  I  am  only  human,  but  the  statements  that  I  am 
here  to  present  to  you  are  based  on  years  of  exploratory  work  in  the 
Old  Dominion  and  Southern  States.  In  conclusion,  Mr.  President,  I  desire 
to  extend  to  the  American  Mining  Congress  an  invitation  to  meet  at 
some  point  in  the  State  of  Virginia  in  the  year  1910,  two  years  hence, 
and  we  will  give  you  a  royal  welcome. 

Mr.  Schubert's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  124,  Part  II.,  of  this 
report. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  Mr.  S.  Duffield  Mitchell,  of  Carthage, 
Missouri,  is  not  here,  but  has  sent  his  paper  to  me,  entitled  "A  Tariff 
Duty  on  Zinc  Ores,"  and  I  ask  that  it  be  read  by  title  and  be  made  a 
part  of  the  record  of  the  Congress. 

This  motion  was  seconded,  and  it  was  so  ordered. 

Mr.  Mitchell's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  212,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

MR.  A.  W.  ESTES,  OF  ARKANSAS:  I  have  a  paper  entitled  "The 
Mineral  Resources  of  Arkansas."  I  just  want  to  say  that  inasmuch  as 
the  time  for  the  special  order  of  business  is  here,  and  inasmuch  as  there 
can  be  no  dispute  as  to  the  variety  of  the  mineral  resources  of  Arkansas 
as  being  as  great  of  those  of  Virginia  or  those  of  any  other  state  in  ihe 
Union,  I  ask  that  my  paper  be  read  by  title. 

It  was   so  ordered. 

Mr.  Estes'  paper  will  be  found  on  page  146,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

A  similar  order  was  made  as  to  paper  by  Prof.  Robert  H.  Bradford, 
Professor  of  Mining,  Utah  State  University,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  entitle'! 
"Utah's  New  Development  in  Mining." 

Mr.  Bradford's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  101,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

A  similar  order  was  made  as  to  paper  by  Dr.  Herman  Fleck,  Pro- 
fessor of  Chemistry,  Colorado  School  of  Mines,  Golden,  Colorado,  entitled 
"The  New  Mining  Industry — The  Rare  Metals." 

Dr.  Fleck's  paper  will  be  found  on  page  204,  Part  II.,  of  this  report. 

A  similar  order  was  made  as  to  paper  by  Mr.  W.  A.  Thomas,  Com- 
mercial Engineer,  Westinghouse  Electric  and  Manufacturing  Company, 
entitled  "Electricity  as  Applied  to  Mining." 

Mr.  Thomas'  paper  will  be  found  on  page  196,  Part  II.,  of  this  re- 
port. 

MR.  STEELE:  I  have  a  matter  that  I  would  like  to  bring  to  the 
attention  of  this  meeting  and  that  is  in  regard  to  one  of  the  committees 
that  was  appointed  from  which  we  have  heard  no  report.  It  is  a  very 
important  committee  and  is  entitled  the  Committee  on  Alaskan  Mining 
Law.  Let  me  say  that  this  committee  is  one  of  the  most  important  com- 
mittees, especially  to  the  people  of  the  Northwest.  It  is  urgent  I  be- 
lieve, coming  from  the  suggestions  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  that 
they  might  report  to  this  Congress  and  that  this  Congress  might  recom- 
mend to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  or  other  departments  such  laws 
as  might  be  necessary  for  the  development  of  the  mining  industry  in 
Alaska.  I  would  like,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  this  committee  be  continued  as 
a  committee,  with  a  change  in  the  personnel  of  the  committee,  for  the 
reason  that  we  believe  we  have  just  as  competent  men  within  the  limits 
of  Alaska  to  suggest  changes  in  the  mining  law  as  they  have  in  Seattle 
or  elsewhere.  Wie  believe  that  we  know  what  we  want.  We  believe  that 
we  can  ask  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  or  this  American  Mining 
Congress  to  assist  us  better  than  our  neighbors  can  ask  it  for  us.  There- 


108  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

fore,  sir,  I  would  move  you  that  this  present  committee  be  discharged 
and  that  a  committee  composed  of  Alaskans  on  Alaska  Mining  Law  be 
appointed  by  the  President  of  this  Congress,  if  I  can  get  a  second. 

MR.  M.  E.  KOONIE,  O'F  ALASKA:  I  wish  to  second  the  motion 
which  has  just  been  made. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  A  motion  has  just  been  made  and  second- 
ed that  the  present  committee  be  discharged  and  the  president  of  this 
organization  appoint  a  new  committee  of  citizens  of  Alaska.  Are  you 
ready  for  the  question? 

MR.  W;OODS:.  I  would  like  to  know  if  that  committee  that  it  is 
desired  to  discharge  has  any  report  to  make  to  this  Congress. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Mr.  Secretary,  has  the  Committee  on 
Alaskan  Laws  any  report  to  make? 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  The  committee  appointed  a  sub-com- 
mittee, and  that  sub-committee  went  over  the  matter  and  made  a  recom- 
mendation, but  instead  of  sending  it  to  the  committee  appointed  oy  this 
Congress,  they  sent  it  direct  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Congress.  I  immedi- 
ately wrote  back  to  the  chairman  of  the  committee  and  called  his  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  this  report  had  been  made  to  me  and  telling  him 
that  the  report  must  go  through  his  committee  in  order  to  be  recognized 
by  the  Congress.  I  have  had  no  response  to  that  request  and  there  is 
no  report  before  this  Congress. 

MR.  WOODS:  I  am  in  favor  of  this  motion  personally,  but  I  thought 
it  would  be  courtesy  to  hear  from  the  committee  if  there  was  any  report 
first. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     Is  there  any  further  discussion? 

(No  response.) 

The  motion  was  then  put,  and  carried. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  The  Resolutions  Committee  report  back  resolu- 
tion No.  19,  introduced  by  John  G.  Ross,  and  your  committee  recommends 
that  said  resolution  be  spread  upon  the  proceedings  of  the  Congress  as 
an  expression  of  the  views  of  the  officials  of  West  Virginia  on  the  origin 
of  and  protection  against  mine  disasters. 

Mr.  President,  I  would  move  that  the  recommendation  of  the  com- 
mittee be  adopted. 

The  secretary  read  the  resolution. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  If  there  is  no  objection  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  committee  will  be  declared  adopted.  Hearing  none,  it  is 
so  ordered. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  The  Resolutions  Committee  report  back  resolu- 
tions No.  15,  No.  11,  No.  12  and  No.  3,  and  recommend  that  they  be  re- 
ferred to  a  special  committee  of  three  to  be  appointed  by  the  President 
of  the  American  Mining  Congress,  with  the  request  that  these  resolu- 
tions be  considered  carefully  and  report  made  to  the  officers  of  the  Con- 
gress and  to  each  member  and  delegate  of  the  Eleventh  Annual  Session 
of  the  American  Mining  Congress. 

Resolution  No.  15,  by  David  G.  Ross  of  Illinois,  refers  to  compensa- 
tion given  men  who  are  injured  within  the  mines;  No.  11  is  by  H.  Bau- 
mann,  and  refers  to  electric  shot  firing,  and  No.  12  is  by  F.  Wilson 
Henderson,  and  it  refers  to  a  committee  to  be  appointed  to  act  in  con- 
junction with  the  United  States  Geological  survey  with  regard  to  the 
testing  demonstrations  of  different  systems  of  ventilation.  No.  3  is  by 
Peter  Hanraty  on  mine  accident.  All  of  these  resolutions  refer  to  the 
same  subject,  practically. 

Mr.  President,  I  move  you  that  the  recommendation  of  this  com- 
mittee be  adopted. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  motion.  Is  there 
any  discussion.  If  there  is  no  objection  it  will  be  declared  that  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  committee  is  adopted.  Hearing  none,  it  is  so  ordered. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  109 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  18,  introduced  by  W.  F.  R.  Mills, 
refers  to  the  testing  plant,  the  Resolutions  Committee  reports  this  reso- 
lution back  with  the  recommendation  that  it  do  pass. 

Mr.  President,  I  move  you  that  the  recommendation  of  this  com- 
mittee be  adopted. 

The  secretary  read  the  resolution. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  recommendation  of 
the  committee  on  resolutions.  Are  you  ready  for  the  question?  If  there 
is  no  objection  the  recommendation  will  be  adopted.  Hearing  none,  it 
is  so  ordered. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  20,  introduced  by  Fred  C.  Keighley, 
regarding  Water  Storage  and  Reforestation,  Your  Committee  on  Reso- 
lutions respectfully  recommend  that  said  resolution  be  referred  to  the 
Committee  on  Forestry. 

Mr.  President,  I  would  move  you  that  the  recommendation  of  the 
committee  be  adopted. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution. 

M;R.  BANCROFT:  Wfrs  the  motion  that  the  report  of  the  Resolu- 
tions Committee  be  adopted? 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:      What  was   the   report? 

DR.  BUCKLEY:     That  it  be  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Forestry. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  recommendation 
of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions.  Any  remarks?  Hearing  none,  the 
report  of  the  committee  is  declared  adopted. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  9,  by  J.  G.  McHenry.  This  resolu- 
tion will  be  read  by  the  secretary.  Your  Committee  on  Resolutions,  to 
which  this  resolution  was  referred,  recommends  that  it  be  referred  to 
the  Board  of  Directors  with  a  request  that  a  committee  of  five  be  ap- 
pointed, to  which  committee  this  resolution  shall  be  referred  with  instruc- 
tions to  report  an  equitable  plan  to  carry  out  the  spirit  and  intent  of 
this  resolution  in  a  practical  manner,  such  committee  to  report  at  the 
earliest  possible  time. 

Mr.  President,  I  would  move  you  that  the  report  of  the  committee  on 
this  resolution  be  adopted. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  the  resolution. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  recommendations 
of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions;  any  remarks?  Hearing  none,  the  rec- 
ommendations of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  will  be  declared  adopted. 

DR.  BUCKLEY:  Resolution  No.  13,  by  W.  P.  Daniels,  This  resolu- 
tion refers  to  mining  frauds.  Your  Committee  on  Resolutions  recommend 
that  this  be  referred  to  a  committee  on  protection  against  mining  frauds, 
and  urge  its  speedy  consideration.  I  believe  the  bill  submitted  wim  this 
resolution  contains  many  valuable  suggestions,  which  should  in  a  proper 
legal  manner  be  prepared  for  submission  to  the  several  states. 

Mr.  President,  I  move  you  that  the  report  of  the  committee  on 
this  resolution  be  adopted. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee; any  remarks? 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  do  not  rise  to  oppose  the  adoption  of  the  report 
of  the  committee.  I  am  a  little  disappointed  in  the  report,  because  I 
dislike  a  further  postponement  of  action  by  the  Congress  on  this  ques- 
tion. The  Congress  has  had  this  matter  under  consideration  for  three 
years  now,  and  has  accomplished  practically  nothing.  This  bill  will  be 
presented  to  the  next  session  of  the  Colorado  legislature,  and  an  effort 
will  be  made  to  have  it  enacted  into  law  by  that  state.  I  very  much 
regret  that  it  cannot  be  before  that  legislature  with  the  unanimous 
endorsement  of  this  congress.  With  that  brief  explanation  I  second  the 
motion  to  adopt  the  report  of  the  committee. 

'  PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  You  have  heard  the  motion.  Are  you 
ready  for  the  question?  If  there  is  no  objection  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee will  be  declared  adopted.  Hearing  none,  it  is  so  ordered. 


110  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

0 

SENATOR  DICK:     I  move  the  adoption  of  the  following  resolution: 

Resolution  of  Thanks. 
(Introduced  by   Senator  Charles  Dick  of  Ohio.) 

Resolved,  That  the  American  Mining  Congress  in  session  assembled, 
hereby  extends  its  grateful  thanks  to  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  through  its 
mayor;  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  through  its  president;  to  Mr. 
Samuel  A.  Taylor,  chairman  of  the  local  executive  committee;  to  Mr. 
John  W.  Boileau,  Mr.  W.  G.  Wilkins.  Dr.  M.  E.  Wads  worth,  Mr.  W.  R. 
Wbodford,  Mr.  John  B.  Jones  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Wardrop,  members  of  the 
Executive  Committee,  and  Chairmen  of  the  several  sub-committtes,  and 
to  their  associates;  to  the  public  press  of  the  city;  to  the  President, 
Judge  J.  H.  Richards,  the  Secretary,  Mr.  Jas.  F.  Callbreath,  and  the  asso- 
ciate officers  of  the  American  Mining  Congress,  and  to  all  those  who  have 
so  ably  contributed  to  the  successful  outcome  and  results  of  this,  the 
Eleventh  Annual  Meeting  of  the  American  Mining  Congress. 

The  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted. 

I  have  requested  Dr.  Holmes  to  make  a  brief  statement  about  the 
visit  of  the  Congress  to  the  government  station  for  mine  investigation, 
which  we  visited  Thursday  afternoon. 

DR.  HOLMES:  Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen:  I  do  not  feel  that 
I  should  like  to  lose  the  opportunity  before  this  meeting  adjourns,  be- 
cause I  have  unfortunately  not  been  able  to  attend  all  the  sessions  owing 
to  the  necessity  of  attending  the  sessions  of  another  body  meeting  here 
at  the  same  time  on  a  related  subject.  I  want  to  make  perfectly  clear 
that  the  experiment  station  is  here  for  the  investigation  of  mines,  ex- 
plosives and  for  the  purpose  of  benefiting  the  mining  industries  of  this 
country  in  every  possible  way;  and  I  want  the  members  of  the  Congress 
who  are  here  representing  those  mining  industries  to  feel  that  this  sta- 
tion belongs  to  them. 

It  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  have  a  considerable  amount  of  time  at 
that  station  for  conducting  real  investigations.  For  that  purpose  it  is 
the  desire  of  the  management  that  on  about  four  days  in  the  week,  the 
work  of  the  station  will  go  on  uninterrupted  by  the  necessity  of  making 
tests  for  different  people  under  different  conditions,  but  we  propose  to 
set  aside  two  days,  Friday  and  Saturday,  of  every  week,  at  which  time 
the  operators  in  different  parts  of  the  country  can  bring  samples  of 
dust  from  their  mines  and  the  explosives  they  are  using,  bring  their 
mine  foremen  and  mine  superintendents  and  managers,  and  come  them- 
selves, and  make  tests  or  co-operate  in  making  tests  in  which  they  are 
particularly  interested.  We  will  put  on  double  shifts  and  work  day  and 
night  if  it  is  necessary  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose. 

One  other  suggestion,  Mr.  Chairman,  and  that  is  concerning  mine 
prospecting  on  public  lands: 

Every  member  of  this  Congress  appreciates  what  is  a  growing  source 
of  friction  throughout  a  large  part  of  the  West  with  reference  to  pros- 
pecting in  the  forest  reserves  and  on  public  lands.  I  am  glad  that  this 
agitation  has  brought  out  the  sources  and  cause  of  that  friction.  I  am 
sure  that  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  the  Chief  of  the  Forest  Service 
are  anxious  to  do  away  with  that  friction;  and  I  believe  that  oh  request 
to  do  so  by  the  President  of  this  oganization  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
would  be  willing  to  appoint  an  impartial  commission  of  mining  men  who 
will  represent  no  special  interests,  but  represent  the  mining  interests 
and  the  public  interests  of  this  country,  to  go  through  the  West  and 
discuss  this  situation  with  the  mining  men  and  submit  to  him  (the  Sec- 
retary) recommendations  as  to  measures  which  will  probably  safeguard 
all  these  interests  thoroughly. 

I  believe  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  will  act  upon  this  suggestion 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all  the  mining  men  of  that  great  western  country. 
I  believe,  therefore,  that  this  agitation  and  a  request  of  that  kind,  coming 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  111 

from  our  president,  will  lead  to  permanent  positive  good,  not  only  for 
the  present  but  for  the  future.  All  of  us  who  are  interested  in  mining 
want  the  mining  interests  of  this  country  properly  recognized  and  prop- 
erly taken  care  of,  and  properly  fostered;  and  I  assure  you  that  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  anxious  to  co-operate  with  you  in  the  accomp- 
lishment of  this  important  purpose.  (Applause.) 

MIR.  LUCE,  OF  NEVADA:  I  would  like  to  ask  when  the  members 
or  committee  will  meet  to  consider  the  question  of  selecting  the  place 
for  the  next  meeting. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  When  this  organization  first  started  it 
was  composed  entirely  of  a  delegate  system,  and  those  delegates  received 
invitations  from  various  sections  of  the  country  where  they  wanted  to 
hold  the  next  session.  After  this  organization  was  incorporated  the  by- 
laws provided  that  the  board  of  directors  should  determine  the  place 
of  holding  the  next  session.  But  as  we  had  a  very  large  delegate  at- 
tendance, in  order  that  they  might  feel  that  they  had  been  treated  fairly, 
the  custom  has  been  for  years  to  receive  an  invitation  at  large  in  the 
session  and  let  the  delegates  and  members  vote  as  to  their  recommenda- 
tion to  the  board  of  directors  where  the  next  session  should  be  held. 
But  I  am  in  this  position  now,  no  action  having  been  taken,  as  provided 
by  the  by-laws,  that  the  board  of  directors  determine  the  place  of  hold- 
ing the  next  session.  The  recommendation  of  the  last  session  was  to 
hold  it  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  There  seems  to  have  been  a  misunderstanding 
in  some  way  about  that,  and  the  directors  decided  to  hold  it  at  Pittsburg. 
Under  the  by-laws  the  boa.rd  of  directors  determine  the  place  of  holding 
the  next  session.  The  board  of  directors  will  meet  at  the  Colonial  hotel 
at  2:30  o'clock  this  afternoon  for  organization.  At  3:30  we  will  be  glad 
to  receive  anyone  who  desires  to  have  the  next  session  of  this  Congress 
held  in  his  locality. 

This  concludes  all  that  we  have  to  present  to  this  Congress  for  its 
consideration  at  this  session. 

MiR.  DANIELS:  I  was  absent  from  the  Congress  at  the  time  the 
partial  report  of  the  Forestry  Committee  was  presented,  and  I  have  been 
informed  that  the  report  was  simply  adopted,  but  that  no  provision  was 
made  for  its  execution;  is  that  correct? 

SECRETARY  CALLBRBATH:  I  think  the  report  carried  its  own 
recommendation,  but  I  have  not  examined  it. 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  wish,  then,  Mr.  President,  to  tender  my  resigna- 
tion as  a  member  of  the  Forestry  Committee  in  order  that  I  may  without 
embarrassment  make  a  motion  later. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  the  power  to 
accept  the  resignation. 

MR.   DANIELS:      I   was  appointed  by   you. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     During  the  session,  I  have  limited  powers. 

MR.  DANIELS:  There  will  be  no  further  meeting  of  the  Congress 
after  we  adjourn  now. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  No.  I  do  not  believe  you  will  be  very 
much  embarrassed  if  you  will  get  at  that  question  right. 

MR.  DANIELS:  The  idea  is,  the  committee  has  barely  begun  its 
investigations.  It  took  up  one  particular  matter  from  which  the  mining 
industry  in  the  West,  metal  miners,  are  suffering  daily,  and  it  made 
a  report  upon  that  one  particular  matter.  I  believe,  however,  in  order 
to  make  that  report  effective  that  this  Congress  should  take  some  definite 
action  in  regard  to  carrying  out  the  recommendation  of  the  committee. 
The  embarrassment  that  I  feel  in  regard  to  it  is  that  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  proper  committee  to  carry  out  that  recommendation  is  the  Forestry 
Committee.  I  really  do  not  like  to  make  a  motion  to  send  myself  to 
interview  Mr.  Pinchot,  and  if  necessary  to  interview  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  and  Agriculture, 


112  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  I  think  Mr.  Brownlee  is  the  chairman 
of  the  committee  and  that  perhaps  we  ought  to  send  a  telegram  to  Mr. 
Pinchot.  I  will  say  this,  that  I  expect  to  leave  tonight  for  Washington, 
and  will  meet  him  there  personally  on  Monday. 

COLONEL  BROW]NLEE:  Mr.  President,  when  that  report  was  sub- 
mitted, it  carried  with  it  a  recommendation  that  the  Congress  petition 
the  National  Forest  Service  to  enforce  the  act  of  June  3,  1878,  whereby 
the  miner  could  secure  the  free  use  of  timber  on  lands  open  to  mineral 
location.  That  was  adopted  by  the  Congress.  It  seems  to  me  that  all 
that  is  necessary  is  to  present  those  recommendations  to  the  forest 
service  and  notify  them  that  the  Congress  adopted  them.  And  I  think 
that  all  that  could  be  done  under  the  circumstances,  and  if  that  is  done, 
I  have  no  doubt  whatever  but  what  it  will  receive  the  consideration  of 
the  Forest  Service. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Are  there  any  other  matters  you  desire 
to  present  before  adjournment? 

(No  further  matters  were  presented.) 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  This  closes  our  work  so  far  as  the  of- 
ficers have  anything  to  suggest. 

SENATO'R  DICK:     I  move  the  convention  adjourn  sine  die. 

The  motion  was  seconded  and  was  duly  carried,  and  the  Congress 
stood  adjourned. 

MINUTES    OF    ANNUAL    MEETING    OF    MEMBERS. 

A  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  was  held 
at  the  Hotel  Schenley,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  on  Thursday  evening,  December  3, 
•1908,  pursuant  to  notice  duly  mailed  to  each  member  more  than  thirty 
days  prior  to  said  meeting,  a  copy  of  which  notice  follows: 
"Notice  of  Annual  Meeting. 

"A  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  is 
hereby  called  to  meet  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  on  Thursday,  December  3,  1908, 
at  8  o'clock  p.  m.,  for  the  election  of  three  Directors  to  hold  office  for 
three  years,  to  succeed  E.  A.  Colburn,  Alexander  Dempster  and  L.  W. 
Powell,  whose  terms  of  office  as  Directors  expire,  and  for  the  transaction 
of  such  other  business  as  may  properly  be  brought  before  said  meeting. 

"By  order  of  the  Executive  Committee, 

"J.  H.  RICHARDS,   President. 

"JAS.  F.  CALLBREATH,  JR.,  Secretary. 
"Denver,  Colo." 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Vice-President  E.  R.  Buckley. 

The  minutes  of  the  special  meeting  of  members  held  at  Denver,  Colo- 
rado, on  July  15,  1908,  for  the  purpose  of  voting  upon  amendments 
to  the  By-Laws,  were  read,  excepting  certain  parts  thereof,  the  reading  of 
which  was  by  special  order  dispensed  with,  and  upon  motion  duly  sec- 
onded and  carried,  the  minutes  were  approved. 

The  Secretary  presented  his  report  of  the  receipts  and  expenses,  as 
follows: 

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT  OF  SECRETARY  FOR  PERIOD  NOVEMBER 
1,  1907,  TO  NOVEMBER  1,  1908. 

Receipts. 

Cash  on  hand  November   1,  1907 $      193.12 

Received  from  Life  Memberships 1,230.00 

Received  from  Annual  Memberships   3,315.00 

Received  from  Annual  Dues 4,742.80 

Joplin   Convention  fund 3,000.00 

Voluntary  contribution,  Jesse  Knight,  Provo,  Utah 100.00 


Total  receipts   $12,580.92 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  113 

Disbursements. 

(Covered  by  Vouchers  Nos.  396   to  592%,  inclusive,  excepting  No.   420, 

not  used.) 

Secretary's  salary    $  3,600.00 

Stenographers'  salaries 1,410.30 

Organizers'  salaries   1,497.76 

Office  expense 167.76 

Printing  and  Stationery 942.47 

Postage     590.00 

Secretary's  traveling  expenses 1,437.35 

(Including  $780.85  expense  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  on  behalf 
of  Bill  for  National  Bureau  of  Mines  and  expense  in  con- 
nection with  Joplin  Convention.) 

Traveling  expenses  of   organizers 1,822.30 

Miscellaneous  expense,  exchange,  etc 502.24 

Refunds  to  local  branches,  Bisbee,  Seattle  and  Spokane 365.50 


Total   disbursements    $12,335.68 

Total   receipts    12,580.92 

Total  disbursements 12,335.68 


Balance  on  hand  November  1,  1908 $      245.24 

Respectfully  submitted, 

JAS.  F.  CALLBREATH,  JR.,  Secretary. 

The  report  of  the  Auditing  Committee  was  then  read  by  the  Secre- 
tary, as  follows: 

Denver,  Colo.,  Nov.  1,  1908. 

We,   the   undersigned,    members  of   the   Auditing   Committee   of  the 
American  Mining  Congress,  beg  to  report  that  the  books  of  the  Secretary 
show  as  follows: 
Cash  on  hand  last  report $      193.12 

Receipts  as  follows:  — 

Life  Memberships  1,230.00 

Annual  Memberships   3,315.00 

Annual  Dues 4,742.80 

Contributions    3,100.00 

Total  receipts  $12,580.92 

Disbursements,  covered  by  Vouchers  Nos.  396  to  592%,  inclusive,  except- 
ing No.  420,  not  used. 

Secretary's  salary $  3,600.00 

Stenographers'  salaries    1,410.30 

Organizers'  salaries 1,497.76 

Office  expense 167.76 

Printing  and  Stationery 942.47 

Postage    590.00 

Secretary's  traveling  expenses 1,437.35 

Representatives'  traveling  expenses 1,822.30 

Miscellaneous  expense,  exchange,  etc 502.24 

Refunds    365.50 


Total  disbursements   $12,336.68 

Total  receipts 12,580.92 

Total  disbursements   12,335.68 


Balance  on  hand,  November  1,  1908 $      245.24 

(Signed) 

E.  G.  REINERT, 
W.   E.   BRIDGMAN, 
Members  Auditing  Committee. 


114  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

It  was  thereupon  duly  moved  that  the  Secretary'.s  report  and  the  re- 
port of  the  Auditing  Committee  be  approved  and  placed  on  file,  said 
motion  being  seconded,  was  duly  put  and  carried. 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  desire  to  reintroduce  here  at  this  meeting  of  mem- 
bers the  resolution  presented  by  me  which  was  read  in  general  session, 
for  your  action.  I  wish,  however,  to  say  that  in  my  opinion  that  resolu- 
tion should  be  acted  upon  by  the  Congress  itself,  and  it  was  because  of 
that  opinion  that  it  was  introduced  in  the  Congress  originally  instead  of 
at  this  meeting  of  members.  It  is  a  resolution  that  looks  to  the  entire 
change  in  the  personnel  of  the  Congress  itself  in  its  membership.  It 
looks  to  such  a  change  in  the  by-laws  as  shall  provide  for  membership 
only,  and  not  for  any  representation  by  delegates  appointed  by  com- 
mercial, municipal  or  state  authorities.  It  does  not  look  to  the  adoption 
of  the  laws  themselves,  but  it  simply  provides  for  a  committee  to  con- 
sider such  a  revision  to  report  to  the  next  meeting  of  the  Congress. 

I  am  still  of  the  opinion  that  that  resolution  snould  properly  go  be- 
fore the  Congress,  and  not  be  acted  upon  by  this  meeting.  I  believe  that 
the  gentlemen  who  are  members  of  that  Congress  by  virtue  of  being  ap- 
pointed delegates  have  as  much  interest  and  should  have  something  to 
say  in  regard  to  the  disposition  of  a  resolution  of  that  character,  but  in 
order  that  it  may  not  be  finally  defeated  by  a  technicality,  that  it  may 
not  tomorrow  when  it  shall  be  probably  reported  back  by  the  committee, 
be  defeated  entirely  by  the  fact  that  this  meeting  has  been  held,  I  intro- 
duce that  resolution  here  tonight  and  move  its  adoption. 

The  resolution  provides  for  the  appointment  by  the  President  of  the 
Congress  of  a  committee  of  three,  who  shall  take  up  the  matter  of  a  re- 
vision of  our  laws,  and  such  changes  in  our  laws  as  shall  do  away  en- 
tirely with  delegate  representation  in  the  Congress,  that  will  provide  for 
local  and  state  organizations  to  be  subordinate  to  the  national  organiza- 
tion, which  shall  consist  entirely  of  representatives  from  such  subordinate 
organizations,  with  an  expression  that  in  justice  to  those  who  have  here- 
tofore under  our  present  by-laws,  and  who  may  hereafter  before  they  may 
be  changed,  become  life  members,  should  be  continued  as  members  of  the 
general  Congress,  with  full  rights  of  membership.  I  believe  that  is  a  fair 
and  reasonable  and  complete  explanation  of  the  tenor  of  the  resolution, 
and  if  the  gentlemen  who  are  present  here,  members  of  the  Congress,  be- 
lieve with  me  that  it  should  go  before  the  general  meeting  of  the  Con- 
gress and  be  acted  upon  by  the  Congress  and  not  by  this  meeting  of  mem- 
bers, I  shall  be  entirely  satisfied  if  action  is  not  taken  here  to-night,  and 
it  is  left  for  the  Congress  to  pass  upon  It. 

If,  however,  there  is  a  majority  opinion  that  it  is  for  the  members 
alone,  I  want  to  do  the  best  that  I  possibly  can  to  have  the  resolution 
adopted,  because  I  believe  it  means  the  absolute  life  of  this  organization, 
and  I  believe  that  the  time  has  nearly  come,  if  it  has  not  quite  arrived, 
when  the  American  Mining  Congress  should  cast  off  its  swaddling 
clothes,  and  should  make  for  itself  a  permanent  and  real  business  organ- 
ization and  provide  for  representative  membership  in  the  national  Con- 
gress that  has  control  over  the  subordinate  bodies. 

MR.  DEMPSTER:  I  would  like  to  inquire  if  there  is  a  constitution 
and  by-laws  governing  this  society. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:      Yes,  sir. 

MR.  DEMPSTER:  By  what  means  are  any  modifications  or  amend- 
ments to  be  made,  under  that  constitution  and  by-laws? 

MR.  RICHARDS:  Mr.  Chairman,  if  you  will  permit  me  I  would  make 
an  explanation.  I  have  attended  every  session  of  this  Congress  except 
one.  In  its  inception,  the  Congress  was  known  as  the  International  Min- 
ing Congress,  which  had  simply  a  representative  or  delegate  system,  with 
no  definite  purpose  or  plan  for  the  future;  something  on  the  basis  of  the 
Trans-Mississippi  Commercial  Congress.  That  went  along  for  several 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  115 

years  until  we  held  our  session  at  Butte,  Montana.  As  the  result  of  a 
controversy  there,  I  was  selected  to  preside  over  the  Congress  the  next 
year,  and  the  experiences  at  that  time  set  me  to  thinking  as  to  a  definite 
purpose  for  the  future.  With  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Buckley,  who  was 
very  largely  responsible,  we  devised  a  definite  plan  which  was  presented 
at  Deadwood,  South  Dakota,  at  our  next  session  there,  and  we  there  or- 
ganized, and  I  was  instructed  as  President  of  the  Congress  to  incorporate 
the  Congress  as  an  incorporated  body  with  a  membership;  but  we  felt 
it  was  best  to  still  hold  the  delegate  system  until,  as  suggested 
by  Mr.  Daniels,  a  time  should  come  when  we  should  grow  out  of  our 
swaddling  clothes.  That  delegate  system  has  been  very  useful  in  giv- 
ing enthusiasm  at  least  and  energy  to  our  annal  sessions,  and  it  has 
prevented  us  to  some  extent  from  getting  into  ruts. 

We  are  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Colorado,  and  we 
are  governed  by  the  incorporation  laws  of  that  state  and  the  by-laws  were 
drawn  with  reference  to  the  statutes  under  which  we  were  organized 
and  incorporated.  We  have  continued  the  delegate  system  thus  far,  and 
have  found  it  quite  useful  because  it  spreads  a  larger  interest  over  the 
nation.  Now  we  are  trying  to  nationalize  this  organization,  as  will  be 
very  clearly  indicated  to  you  when  I  have  delivered  what  is  called  the 
President's  annual  address,  at  which  time  I  hope  to  place  before  you  in 
terms  that  are  as  clear  as  possible  the  purposes  and  aims,  or  some  of 
them,  at  least,  of  this  organization. 

I  do  not  want  to  do  anything  that  would  prevent  the  growth  of  this 
organization  in  a  proper  manner,  but  in  my  judgment,  and  I  have  been 
President  of  this  organization  now  for  six  consecutive  years,  I  doubt  the 
wisdom  of  a  change  at  this  time,  at  least  until  we  see  the  effect  of  this 
meeting  in  the  eastern  part  of  this  country.  My  impression  is  that  the 
Eastern  people  are  coming  to  understand  us  a  little  better,  and  when  they 
do  we  will  at  least  command  their  respect  if  not  their  entire  confidence. 
It  is  a  matter  of  growth.  My  difficulty  as  a  presiding  officer  over  this 
organization  for  the  last  six  years  has  been,  to  use  a  homely  phrase,  to 
hold  the  breeching  tightly  upon  this  organization,  that  it  might  not  be 
too  radical.  It  is  a  question  of  growth.  We  must  first  make  ourselves 
respectable,  and  then  we  will  be  respected,  and  if  we  grow  sanely  we 
will  finally  command  the  confidence  of  the  best  mining  thought  of  this 
nation.  And  that  is  my  ultimate  purpose  so  far  as  my  influence  has  been 
over  this  organization. 

I  think  you  will  notice  before  this  session  is  over  that  the  delegates 
here  have  been  of  service  at  this  session,  and  in  this  way  we  gather  a 
larger  membership.  What  we  need  to  help  us  do  the  work  that  should 
be  done  is  an  income  of  $50,000  a  year,  which  would  mean  a  membership 
of  b,000.  We  could  expend  that  amount  wisely,  and  you  will  notice  at 
the  session  we  had  to-day  the  questions  that  were  presented  demonstrate 
this  idea,  that  if  you  can  bring  together  the  best  thought  of  this  nation 
from  all  its  great  commonwealths,  those  interested  in  labor,  and  in  all 
forms  of  industrial  progress,  where  they  can  meet  on  a  common  level, 
we  will  yet  get  them  into  a  higher  form  of  co-operation.  If  we  can  exer- 
cise any  influence  in  bringing  together  and  harmonizing  those  great  fac- 
tors in  industrial  progress,  labor  and  capital,  our  work  shall  not  be  in 
vain;  and  it  was  demonstrated  to-day  that  these  interests  can  meet  with 
us  and  discuss  those  questions  fairly  and  on  a  common  level,  and  I  be- 
lieve it  will  have  a  great  influence,  but  I  do  not  think  the  time  has  yet 
come  when  we  can  leave  off  our  swaddling  clothes,  as  has  been  expressed. 
W'e  need  still  the  influence  of  those  delegates,  in  my  judgment.  How- 
ever, I  am  only  expressing  my  own  views.  It  might  be  well  to  appoint 
a  committee  to  investigate  this  matter  and  report  at  the  next  session,  and 
see  what  might  be  done,  but  certainly  at  this  time  I  doubt  the  wisdom 
of  this  action. 


116  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

Now,  as  to  the  nominating  committee.  We  want  to  get  as  directors 
of  this  Congress  for  the  coming  year  those  three  men  who  have  the  best 
minds  and  hearts  that  we  can  find  in  this  Union,  if  we  can  get  them  here. 
We  want  to  get  men  who  will  serve,  and  give  their  time  and  energy  to 
the  work  of  this  Congress  for  the  coming  year.  That  is  the  purpose  of 
the  nominating  committee,  that  it  may  report  to  this  body  of  men  who 
would  agree  to  serve.  That  constitutes,  briefly,  my  views  upon  the 
question. 

MR.  DEMPSTER:  Mr.  Chairman,  there  is  some  provision  in  our  by- 
laws whereby  those  by-laws  may  be  amended.  I  should  like  to  have  that 
clause  read.  That  will  give  Mr.  Daniels — 

MR.  DANIELS:     Mr.  Chairman— 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:  Just  a  minute,  Mr.  Daniels,  until  I  answer 
the  gentleman's  question.  Will  the  Secretary  read  the  desired  portion  of 
the  by-laws? 

MR.  DEMPSTER:     Just  the  amendment  to  the  by-laws. 

Secretary  Callbreath  read  Articles  9  and  15  of  the  by-laws,  as  re- 
quested. 

MR.  DEMPSTER:  There  is  a  rule  laid  down  there,  I  suppose,  that 
governs  this  body? 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:     Certainly. 

MR.  DEMPSTER:  And  any  amendments  that  may  be  made  must 
be  made  in  accordance  with  that  rule.  If  Mr.  Daniels  or  any  other  gen- 
tleman has  an  amendment  to  offer,  why,  it  ought  to  be  offered  in  that 
way,  and  acted  on  in  that  way,  just  as  is  provided  there,  or  else  there  is 
no  use  of  having  a  constitution  and  by-laws. 

MR.  DANIELS:  Is  there  any  amendment  proposed  to  be  adopted 
by  this  meeting,  Mr.  Chairman? 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:      No,  sir. 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  thought  not.  Do  I  understand  that  the  question 
on  the  adoption  of  my  resolution  is  now  before  this  meeting  for  debate? 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:  No,  sir,  it  is  not.  Gentlemen,  what  is 
your  future  pleasure? 

MR.  DEMPSTER:  I  would  say  just  a  word  in  reference  to  the  re- 
marks made  by  the  Chairman,  and  the  remarks  by  Mr.  Daniels,  that  we 
have  no  doubt  that  the  aims  and  the  ambitions  and  the  efforts  and  the 
accomplishments  of  those  who  have  controlled  ana  governed  and  cared 
for  and  guided  this  infant  have  been  all  that  could  be  desired,  and  they 
know  most  about  it;  but  we  have  an  organization,  and  that  organization 
has  adopted  by-laws  by  which  it  shall  be  governed,  and  we  should  respect 
those  by-laws  and  act  in  accordance  therewith  in  bringing  in  whatever 
amendments  or  modifications  we  want. 

MR.  DANIELS:  Mr.  Chairman,  may  I  have  the  same  privilege  of 
debating  the  question  that  has  been  given  to  other  members  of  the  Con- 
gress? 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:  I  think  there  has  not  been  any  debate  on 
the  question  further  than  what  privilege  has  been  granted  to  you,  Mr. 
Daniels,  already. 

MR.  DANIELS:  Then  I  understand  I  am  not  permitted  to  speak  on 
the  question? 

THE  CHAIRMAN:  I  think  the  members  of  the  Congress  are  per- 
fectly willing  to  hear  you  speak  at  any  time,  Mr.  Daniels,  there  is  no 
objection.  You  will  certainly  be  privileged  to  have  the  floor  and  speak 
on  the  subject  the  same  as  our  President.  We  will  be  very  glad,  I  am 
sure,  to  hear  from  you  if  you  have  anything  further  to  say  on  the  sub- 
ject 

MR.  DANIELS:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  do  not  want  to  trespass  upon  the 
patience  of  the  Congress  or  the  members  here  present,  and  if  there  is  not 
sentiment  enough  in  favor  of  trying  to  improve  our  present  by-laws  so 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  117 

that  I  can  obtain  a  second  to  my  motion  I  do  not  believe  I  want  to  take 
it  up  at  all,  except  to  call  attention  to  this  fact,  which  I  attempted  to  call 
attention  to  before,  by  a  question.  I  have  not  proposed  to  amend  the  by- 
laws at  this  meeting  in  any  way,  shape  or  manner.  All  reference  to 
amendment  to  the  by-laws  and  reading  the  by-laws  providing  for  amend- 
ments is  entirely  aside  from  any  question  which  can  be  raised  by  the 
resolution  that  I  have  offered  before  this  meeting.  At  a  very  slimly  at- 
tended meeting  of  the  members  of  the  organization  some  weeks  ago — 
months  ago,  perhaps — amendments  were  enacted  to  the  by-laws  provid- 
ing for  the  establishment  of  local  branches  of  this  Congress.  I  was  pres- 
ent at  that  meeting,  and  if  I  chose  to  test  the  legality  of  the  adoption  of 
those  amendments  there  might  be  some  question  now  as  to  whether  or 
not  they  are  in  force.  I  do  not  choose  to  do  that  because  I  believe  that 
the  amendments  were  proposed  and  adopted  in  the  spirit  of  betterment  of 
the  American  Mining  Congress,  and  that  is  the  sole  aim  that  is  in  my 
mind  when  I  present  this  resolution  providing,  not  for  an  amendment  of 
the  by-laws  by  this  session  of  the  Congress  or  by  this  meeting  of  mem- 
bers, but  that  a  committee  of  three  shall  be  appointed  by  the  President 
to  consider  the  matter  for  twelve  months  and  report  to  you  next  year 
their  findings,  with  a  suggestion  that  they  should  prepare  such  amend- 
ments of  such  a  revision  of  the  by-laws  as  shall  comply  with  the  idea 
contained  in  the  amendments  already  adopted  and  in  force.  Now  that  I 
am  not  trying  to  deprive  the  delegates  of  any  right  which  they  may  have, 
or  to  abolish  absolutely  the  delegate  representation,  it  seems  to  me,  is 
demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  I  want  to  put  this  question  to  the  dele- 
gates, and  give  them  just  as  much  right  to  vote  on  it  as  the  members.  I 
do  not  like  to  attend  a  convention  of  any  kind  where  I  may  stand  in  one 
meeting  on  an  equality  with  the  other  man  who  is  a  delegate,  and  then 
pay  to  him,  "Well,  now,  we  are  going  to  have  a  meeting  to-night  that 
you  cannot  come  into."  It  is  true  that  that  provision  was  made  under 
peculiar  conditions  and  under  circumstances  which  seemed  at  the  time 
to  require  it.  I  do  not  say  that  now  is  the  time  to  change  these  by-laws 
ana  change  the  entire  method  of  providing  the  personnel  of  the  Congress. 
If  I  believed  that  now  is  the  time  I  would  not  have  introduced  this  resolu- 
tion. I  would  have  brought  into  this  meeting  some  amendments  provid- 
ing for  or  making  those  changes.  I  still  believe,  as  I  said  in  the  first 
place,  that  this  resolution  should  go  to  the  Congress  and  not  to  this  meet- 
ing of  members. 

Now  I  do  not  attempt  to  take  issue  with  the  President  in  his  state- 
ment that  he  does  not  think  the  time  has  yet  arrived  to  make  the  change. 
I  do  not  propose  to  make  the  change  now.  I  do  not  think  the  time  has 
arrived.  But  I  do  think  the  time  will  come,  and  the  time  to  begin  con- 
sidering is  now,  as  to  whether  or  not  we  shall  permit  a  saloonkeeper  to 
sit  in  our  American  Mining  Congress  and  represent  our  mining  interests. 
We  need  the  $50,000  that  Judge  Richards  spoke  about,  but  can  we  get  it 
when  you  and  I  go  to — 

MR.  RICHARDS:     Mr.  Chairman— 

MR.  DANIELS:  If  the  Chairman  will  rule  that  the  resolution  is  not 
in  order  and  should  come  before  the  Congress  I  will  stop  right  now. 

MR.  RICHARDS:  The  point  is  this,  that  Secretary  Garfield  has  to 
leave  in  half  an  hour,  and  I  know  you  would  like  to  hear  him  before  we 
adjourn,  and  I  just  thought  we  could  take  a  recess  until  after  we  had  heard 
Secretary  Garfield,  and  then  we  can  hear  the  discussion. 

MR.  DANIELS:     That  is  all  right;  I  will  do  anything. 

CHAIRMAN  BUCKLEY:     What  is  the  pleasure  of  the  meeting? 

On  motion,  duly  seconded  and  carried,  the  meeting  adjourned  sub- 
ject to  the  call  of  the  Chair. 


118  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

SATURDAY,   DECEMBER  5,  1908,   11   O'CLOCK  A.    M. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  time  has  now  arrived  for  the  meet- 
ing of  the  members  with  a  view  of  electing  three  members  of  the  Board 
of  Directors  for  the  coming  year.  Is  the  Committee  on  Nominations 
ready  to  report? 

MR.  JAMES  W.  MALCOLMSON,  OF  MISSOURI:  Your  Committee 
on  Nominations  recommends  for  election  as  Directors  for  a  term  of  three 
years  Mr.  A.  G.  Brownlee  of  Colorado,  Dr.  H.  Foster  Bain  of  Illinois  and 
Mr.  Samuel  A.  Taylor  of  Pennsylvania. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  Nominating  Committee  has  reported 
recommending  that  A.  G.  Brownlee  of  Colorado,  Samuel  A.  Taylor  of 
Pennsylvania  and  H.  Foster  Bain  of  Illinois  be  selected  as  Directors.  Be- 
fore voting  I  will  explain  that  this  being  a  corporation,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  select  these  directors  by  ballot  of  the  members  of  the  corporation. 

MR.  DANIELS:  Inasmuch  as  there  are  but  three  vacancies  the  com- 
mittee has  reported  but  three  names,  and  I  move  you  that  the  Secretary 
be  authorized  to  cast  the  ballot  of  the  members  of  the  Congress  for  the 
three  gentlemen  in  nomination. 

MR.  STEELE,  OF  ALASKA:  Mr.  President,  I  would  second  that 
motion. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that  the 
Secretary  be  instructed  to  cast  the  ballot  of  the  members  of  this  Con- 
gress for  the  selection  of  the  three  Directors  as  recommended  by  the 
committee.  Are  you  ready  for  the  question? 

The  question  was  called  for. 

The  motion  prevailed  and  it  was  so  ordered. 

SECRETARY  CALLBREATH:  Mr.  President,  in  accordance  with 
the  instructions  of  the  Congress,  I  have  cast  the  ballot  of  the  members 
present  in  person  and  those  represented  by  proxy  for  Colonel  A.  G. 
Brownlee,  Mr.  Samuel  A.  Taylor  and  Dr.  H.  Foster  Bain  for  Directors 
for  the  ensuing  three  years. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  The  Secretary  having  cast  the  ballot  I 
declare  that  these  three  men  are  elected  Directors  for  the  coming  three 
years. 

MR.  DANIELS:  Do  I  understand  that  the  session  of  the  members 
of  the  Congress  or  the  meeting  of  the  Congress  is  still  open? 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  While  it  has  not  been  formally  ad- 
journed, its  purpose  has  been  accomplished  and  really  stands  adjourned. 

MR.  DANIELS:     I  regret  that  I  did  not  keep  closer  track  of  it. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  is  not  adjourned  if  you  wish  to  pre- 
sent anything. 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  did  not  want  Resolution  No.  1  to  get  lost  in  the 
shuffle.  I  want  some  kind  of  action  taken  some  way  by  either  the  mem- 
bers themselves  or  by  the  general  Congress  on  Resolution  No.  1. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     Take  it  right  up. 

MR.  DANIELS:     I  do  not  want  to  consume  any  time. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:      Take  it  up  now. 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  am  correct,  am  I  not,  in  my  understanding  that 
the  resolution  has  been  presented  to  the  meeting  of  the  members,  and 
that  it  is  still  pending  before  that  meeting  for  further  action? 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  was  presented  to  the  members  at  the 
Schenley  Hotel,  and  presented  in  general  session  here  yesterday,  and  the 
Chair  ruled  it  out  of  order  before  the  general  session. 

MR.  DANIELS:  I  appreciate  that,  and  I  believe  that  at  the  meeting 
of  the  members  the  other  night  the  motion  was  not  seconded.  I  there- 
fore renew  the  motion  now,  that  Resolution  No.  1  be  adopted  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  American  Mining  Congress. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     I  hear  no  second,  so  it  is  not— 

COLONEL  BROWNLEE:     I  second  that  motion. 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS  119 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that  the 
resolution  presented  to  the  members  at  the  Schenley  Hotel  be  adopted. 
Are  you  ready  for  the  question? 

The  question  was  called  for. 

MR,  DANIELS:  Mr.  President,  I  am  surprised,  I  am  astonished  and 
astounded  that  there  is  any  opposition  to  this  resolution.  I  certainly 
should  not  have  presented  it  at  either  of  the  meetings  had  I  anticipated— 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  Mr.  Daniels,  just  to  make  it  clear,  I  un- 
derstand now  you  are  presenting  it  to  the  members? 

MR.  DANIELS:  To  the  members  only  and  not  to  the  general  Con- 
gress. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     Not  to  the  delegates? 

MR.  DANIELS:  Because  of  the  complex  nature  of  the  American 
Mining  Congress  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  presenting  it  in  both  places, 
so  that  it  might  have  action  in  one  or  the  other.  This  resolution  recites 
in  its  preamble  some  facts  that  I  believe  cannot  be  controverted. 

The  first  is  that  the  members  have  already  adopted  an  amendment 
to  their  oy-laws  providing  for  the  establishment  of  local  bodies  of  the 
American  Mining  Congress.  I  believe  that  is  a  step  in  the  right  direc- 
tion and  that  there  ought  to  be  such  a  provision.  That  which  has  been 
adopted,  however,  is  very  indefinite,  and  does  not,  in  my  opinion,  pro- 
vide a  plan  in  sufficient  detail  to  make  it  as  effective  as  it  ought  to  be. 
The  next  is  a  statement  that  the  present  laws  of  the  Congress  did  not 
originally  contemplate  a  representative  organization  with  subordinate 
bodies,  and  I  believe  that  is  a  statement  of  fact  that  will  not  be  contro- 
verted. 

Our  by-laws  as  they  stand  governing  the  American  Mining  Congress 
do  not  contemplate  the  organization  of  local  bodies.  They  contemplate 
and  provide  for  the  government  of  only  national  meetings,  a  national  or- 
ganization composed  entirely  of  members  and  delegates.  It  is  because 
of  that  condition  of  the  laws  that  I  am  very  earnest  in  my  advocacy  of  a 
provision  for  a  committee  to  take  up  the  subject,  consider  it  in  all  of 
its  bearings,  and  report  to  the  next  meeting  of  the  members  either 
amendments  or  such  a  revision  of  the  laws  as  will  provide  fully,  clearly 
and  practically  for  an  organization  of  local  bodies  in  any  place  where 
those  interested  in  the  mining  industry  may  wish  to  organize  them,  and 
to  provide  for  the  national  bodies  to  be  ultimately  composed  of  repre- 
sentatives from  these  local  bodies,  with  such  additional  members  as  may 
be  provided  for  in  the  wisdom  of  those  who  may  perhaps  in  the  future 
adopt  it. 

The  by-laws  at  present  are  not  in  harmony;  our  organization,  as  I 
said  a  moment  ago,  is  complex.  I  found  myself  the  other  day  in  a  dilemma 
as  to  where  I  should  make  the  effort  to  have  this  resolution  considered.  I 
am  still  of  the  opinion,  notwithstanding  the  decision  of  the  Chairman 
yesterday,  that  the  proper  place  for  the  consideration  is  by  all  of  the 
members,  including  the  delegates,  and  because  of  that  opinion  I  gave 
notice  of  an  appeal.  It  has  become  unnecessary,  I  think,  for  me  to  take 
that  appeal  ,and  I  withdraw  it  now  formally.  I  sincerely  trust  you  will 
appreciate  the  present  condition  of  our  laws  to  such  an  extent  that  you 
will  at  least  authorize  the  President  to  provide  for  this  committee. 

It  does  not  for  a  moment  consider  the  immediate  amendment  of  our 
laws.  It  simply  provides  a  committee  for  their  consideration  to  report 
at  the  next  meeting  such  changes  as  may  be  thought  will  best  provide  for 
the  permanent  future  of  the  organization.  And  I  might  add  a  word  of 
personal  explanation. 

The  morning  papers  stated  that  I  said  last  evening  that  I  had  felt 
the  effects  of  the  "steam  roller."  There  was  just  a  little  misunderstand- 
ing, The  idea  that  I  intended  to  convey  was  that  if  I  continued  and  made 
an  appeal  from  the  decision  of  so  able  and  impartial  a  chairman  as  pre- 


120  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

sides  over  this  body  I  undoubtedly  would  feel  the  effects  of  a  "steam 
roller,"  and  without  any  reflection  whatever  upon  the  chairman,  because 
I  recognize  fully  the  impartiality  and  fairness  with  which  he  presides 
over  this  body.  But  my  prophetic  soul  brings  before  my  mental  vision 
now  a  picture  of  the  mangled  remains  that  would  be  left  in  attempting 
to  prosecute  an  appeal  against  a  decision  under  those  circumstances. 
Usually  I  do  not  have  sense  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  "steam  roller," 
but  I  am  going  to  this  time,  and  consequently  have  withdrawn  the  notice 
of  appeal.  Now,  if  there  is  any  question  in  the  minds  of  the  members  as 
to  the  advisability  of  some  consideration  being  given  to  some  changes  in 
our  laws  to  adapt  the  methods  of  the  Congress  to  its  future  prosperity, 
I  believe  that  any  objection  that  you  can  make  will  be  answered  better 
than  I  can  answer  it,  better  than  I  can  explain,  if  you  will  take  those  laws 
as  they  stand  now  and  read  them  from  beginning  to  end.  It  will  take 
you  but  a  moment,  they  are  so  short. 

It  is  true,  I  believe,  although  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  it  in  the 
law  myself,  but  I  believe  it  is  true,  that  a  provision  has  been  made  by 
which  the  Directors  may  at  any  time  they  deem  it  advisable,  do  away 
with  the  delegate  portion  of  the  American  Mining  Congress,  but  that  is 
not  the  purpose  of  this  resolution.  That  is  only  an  incident  in  connection 
with  the  resolution.  We  want  you  who  are  here  as  delegates  to  become 
interested  in  the  Congress  and  become  members,  and  if  it  is  my  good  for- 
tune to  attend  future  meetings  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  I  do 
not  want  to  have  a  voice  and  vote  in  any  session  of  that  Congress  in 
which  every  one  present  does  not  have  the  same  voice  and  vote.  It  has 
been  understood  by  some  that  my  attitude  in  regard  to  this  is  a  criticism 
of  the  past  methods.  It  is  not. 

I  recognize  fully  that  the  delegate  system  has  been  absolutely  neces- 
sary in  the  past,  that  in  all  human  probability  the  Congress  would  not 
now  be  in  existence  at  all  but  for  the  assistance  that  you  gentlemen  who 
are  here  as  delegates  and  not  members  have  given  us.  But  we  want  your 
further  assistance.  I  do  not  say  that  the  time  has  now  come  when  we 
shall  change  our  attitude  to  you  and  say  that  you  must  become  members 
or  you  cannot  come  in.  I  do  say  and  I  do  believe  that  the  time  has  come 
when  it  ought  to  be  considered  as  to  whether  or  not  we  shall  not  in  the 
near  future  make  some  different  provision. 

I  therefore  appeal  to  you  to  provide  for  the  appointment  of  this  com- 
mittee. You  do  not  commit  yourselves  to  the  adoption  of  any  amend- 
ment. You  may  reject  in  toto  any  report  that  committee  may  make  to 
you  a  year  from  now.  But  I  do  believe  that  there  is  crying  need  that 
some  attention  be  given  to  this  matter.  I  believe  it  should  be  given  in  a 
deliberate  way;  I  believe  there  should  be  ample  time  for  consideration, 
that  amendment  should  not  be  hastily  adopted,  and  I  therefore  again  ap- 
peal to  you  to  adopt  this  resolution  ,and  that  the  President  appoint  a 
committee,  and  when  the  committee  reports  next  year  then  will  be  time 
enough  to  say  whether  we  want  to  make  the  changes  that  they  recom- 
mend or  not. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     Are  you  ready  for  the  question? 

The  question  was  put  and  on  the  vote  the  Chair  announced  that  he 
was  in  doubt. 

A  standing  vote  was  thereupon  taken,  and  the  Secretary  announced 
that  the  vote  stood  9  for  and  9  against. 

COLONEL  BROWNLEE:  Mr.  Chairman,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
this  is  a  tie  vote  and  that  probably  our  President  may  have  to  decide  it, 
if  it  is  in  order,  I  would  like  to  say  a  word. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:     We  shall  be  glad  to  hear  it. 

COLONEL  BROWNLEE:  I  think,  Mr.  President,  that  Mr.  Daniel's 
resolution  is  designed  to  assist  the  Congress.  In  Colorado  we  have  what 
is  known  as  the  Colorado  Mine  Owners'  Association.  That  association  is 


V 


AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS 

composed  of  local  organizations  in  different  mining  camps.  We  are  anx- 
ious to  secure  membership  of  these  local  organizations  and  also  for  our 
state  association.  Under  our  present  by-laws  it  is  almost  impractical  to 
do  that.  Such  conditions  exist  also  in  other  states.  Now  let  me  illus- 
trate. 

In  order  to  become  a  member  of  the  Congress  at  the  present  time, 
which  prescribes  for  specific  dues  to  be  paid,  there  is  no  provision  made 
whereby  part  of  those  dues  will  go  to  a  state  organization.  They  do  pro- 
vide for  a  part  to  go  to  a  local  association,  but  our  local  associations 
would  come  in  without  the  state  association  and  there  is  no  provision 
made  at  all,  so  consequently  we  are  held  up  there.  Now,  those  condi- 
tions may  exist  in  other  states,  and  if  this  Congress  is  going  to  grow  in 
membership  it  is  very  necessary  that  we  secure  those  local  associations, 
where  they  are  being  covered  by  local  conditions,  and  then  each  respond 
to  the  state  association,  and  then  have  the  state  association  respond  to 
the  national  association. 

I  believe  that  if  the  by-laws  were  amended  along  logical  lines  it 
would  help  us  in  our  growth  in  membership.  Mr.  Daniels  has  that  idea  in 
view.  We  do  not  want  to  take  any  radical  action.  We  want  this  com- 
mittee to  take  up  the  question  and  investigate  it  thoroughly  and  find  out 
the  best  way  of  accomplishing  the  desired  results.  Now,  if  that  is  done, 
then  let  that  committee  report  to  the  next  congress  and  if  deemed  wise 
let  us  adopt  such  by-laws  as  they  recommend  whereby  those  conditions 
may  be  improved. 

MR.  DANIELS:  The  organizer  of  the  American  Mining  Congress 
went  up  into  the  Northwest  to  get  men  interested  in  the  mining  industry 
to  join  the  American  Mining  Congress.  They  said  "No,  no,  not  any  min- 
ing congress  for  us.  If,  however,  you  will  change  your  laws  so  that  we 
may  have  our  local  association  and  be  connected  with  your  mining  con- 
gress in  that  way  with  our  local  associations  to  take  care  of  our  local 
matters,  we  will  get  you  a  big  membership  right  away."  Well,  some  local 
organizations  were  formed  and  got  a  whole  lot  of  members.  Then  there 
were  some  hurriedly  summoned  meetings  of  the  members  for  the  purpose 
of  amending  the  by-laws  and  legalizing  the  action  of  the  organizer  in 
getting  those  members.  Now,  the  amendments  adopted  at  that  time  were 
I  believe  —  I  make  no  reflection  on  anyone  in  what  I  say,  I  do  not  intend 
any  —  hastily  and  hurriedly  drawn  and  they  but  partially  cover  the  object 
designed  to  be  attained.  Mr.  President,  I  spent  eighteen  years  of  my 
life  in  building  up  an  organization  which  is  to-day  one  of  the  best,  in  my 
opinion,  and  strongest,  most  capable  and  most  conservative  of  the  labor 
organizations  in  the  United  States  of  America.  And  I  am  egotist  enough 
to  believe  that  I  know  a  little  something  about  how  organizations  can 
be  built  up,  and  make  of  themselves  a  power  in  the  line  upon  which  they 
are  organized.  And  whether  you  adopt  this  resolution  today  or  not,  I  am 
prophet  enough  to  say  that  you  will  come  to  the  idea  that  I  have  pre- 
sented and  sooner  or  later  you  will  be  compelled  to  have  an  entire  re- 
vision of  your  present  laws. 

DR.  HOLMES:  Just  one  word  as  representing  the  opposition  to  that 
resolution.  I  think  there  is  a  misapprehension  with  regard  to  the  pur- 
pose of  the  resolution.  The  fact  that  this  meeting,  largely  through  the 
delegate  attendance,  has  been  such  a  magnificent  success,  makes  all  of 
us  deprecate  any  agitation  even  at  this  meeting  of  doing  away  with  the 
delegate  membership.  It  is  the  first  session  of  this  great  body  in  a  far 
Eastern  center,  and  I  think  we  all  agree  that  it  has  been  a  success.  On 
the  other  hand,  I  do  not  think  any  of  us  object  to  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  that  will  consider  the  whole  question  of  the  by-laws  without 
special  reference  to  the  delegate  system  at  the  present  time.  I  under- 
stand that  is  the  purpose  of  the  resolution. 


122  OFFICIAL  PROCEEDINGS 

MR.  DANIELS:  Pardon  me,,  the  delegate  question  is  an  incident 
merely. 

DR.  HOLMES:  All  right,  then;  as  one  of  those  who  voted  against 
the  resolution  I  am  willing  to  withdraw  that  objection  and  let  the  matter 
go  to  a  committee,  to  be  brought  up  for  discussion  at  a  future  meeting. 

PRESIDENT  RICHARDS:  As  the  vote  throws  the  responsibility 
upon  me  of  deciding  I  vote  in  the  affirmative  and  declare  the  resolution 
adopted.  (Applause). 

Thereupon  the  meeting  of  members  was  adjourned. 


PAPERS  AND  ADDRESSES 


OF  THE 


Eleventh  Annual  Session 


OF  THE 


American  Mining 
Congress 


1908 


PITTSBURGH,  PENNSYLVANIA 

December  2  to  5,  Inclusive 


Published  by  the  Congress 

At  the  Office  of  the  Secretary 

Denver,  Colorado 

1909 


COPYRIGHT,  1909 

BY  THE 

AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS. 
DENVER,  COLORADO. 


INDEX  TO  PAPERS  OF  1 909 


Page 

Annual  Address  of  the  President,  by  J.  H.  Richards 7 

Relation  of  the  Federal  Government  to  Mining,  by  Chas.  Dick.  ...  18 

Transportation  of  Mineral  Products,  by  Edward  H.  Harriman.  ...  38 

The  Importance  of  Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Advancement  of 

the  Mining  Industry,  by  Carroll  D.  Wright 52 

The  Duties  of  the  Federal  and  State  Governments  in  Relation  to 

the  Mining  Industry,  by  George  Harrison 57 

Conservation  in  the  Mining  Industry,  by  Frank  M.  Osborne 66 

Transportation  in  Its  Relation  to  the  Mining  Industry,  by  James 

Douglas    71 

Federal    Government    in    Its    Relation  to  the  Mining  Industry,  by 

James    Rudolph    Garfield 88 

Problems  of  the  Coal  Mining  Industry,  by  J.  A.  Holmes 98 

Some  Utah  Mineral  Deposits  and  Their  Metallurgical  Treatment,  by 

Robert    H.    Bradford 101 

Mining  and  Mineral  Resources  of  Arizona,  by  Frank  Cox 119 

The  Mineral  Resources  of  Virginia,  by  E.  A.  Schubert 124 

The  Mineral  Resources  of  Arkansas,  by  A.  W.  Estes 146 

Conservation  in  the  Coal  Industry,  Protection  of  Life  and  Preven- 
tion of  Waste,  by  Glenn  WT.  Traer 152 

The  Barren  Zone  of  the  Northern  Appalachian  Coal  Field  and  Its 

Relation  to  Pittsburgh's  Industry,  by  I.  C.  White 166 

Needs  for  Conservation  of  Our  Coal  Deposits,  by  J.  V.  Thompson.  .  177 

Conservation  of  Mineral  Resources,  by  J.  B.  Zerbe 181 

Conservation  in  the  Coal  Industry,  by  John  Mitchell 185 

Installation  of  Electricity  in  Mines,  by  W.  A.  Thomas 196 

A  Brief  Statement  of  the  Rising  Importance  of  the  Rare  Elements, 

by  Herman  Fleck 204 

Tariff  on  Zinc  Ores,  by  S.  Duffield  Mitchell 212 

Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Mining  Industry,  by  George  Gray.  .  230 

Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Mining  Industry,  by  Thos.  L.  Lewis  235 

Problems  of  the  Coal  Industry,  by  Alexander  Dempster 239 

Distribution  of  the  Nation's  Mineral  Wealth,  by  George  Otis  Smith  247 

Science  as  the  Basis  of  Commercial  Success,  by  Joseph  Buffiington  251 

The  Duties  of  the  Federal  and  State  Governments  in  Relation  to 

the  Mining  Industry,  by  W.  F.  Englebright 255 

Alaska  and  Its  Mineral  Resources,  by  Alfred  H.  Brooks 258 


OFFICERS  FOR  THE  YEAR  1 909 


PRESIDENT, 
J.  H.  Richards. 

FIRST    VICE    PRESIDENT, 

Dr.  E.  R.  Buckley. 

SECOND    VICE    PRESIDENT, 

John  Dern. 

THIRD    VICE    PRESIDENT, 
W.  F.  R.  Mills. 

DIRECTORS, 

J.  H.  Richards,  Boise,  Idaho. 

E.  R.  Buckley,  Flat  River,  Missouri. 

John  Dern,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

W.  F.  R.  Mills,  Denver,  Colorado. 

Geo.  W.  E.  Dorsey,  Fremont,  Nebraska. 

Thomas  Ewing,  Fenner,  California. 

H.  Foster  Bain,  Urbana,  Illinois. 

A.  G.  Brownlee,  Denver,  Colorado. 

Samuel  A.  Taylor,  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania. 

ADVISORY    BOARD, 

Duncan  Mac  Vichie,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
A.  W.  Mclntire,  Everett,  Washington. 
W.  J.  Elmendorf,  Spokane,  Washington. 
L.  W.  Powell,  Bisbee,  Arizona. 

EXECUTIVE   COMMITTEE, 

John  Dern,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
A.  G.  Brownlee,  Denver,  Colorado. 
W.  F.  R.  Mills,  Denver,  Colorado. 

SECRETARY, 

J,  F.  Callbreath,  Jr.,  Denver,  Colorado, 


Annual  Address  of  the  President. 


BY    HON.    J.    H.    RICHARDS,    BOISE,    IDAHO. 

This  hour  has  been  set  apart  with  a  view  to  placing 
before  you  the  reasons  justifying  the  existence  and  support 
of  such  a  national  organization  as  the  American  Mining 
Congress.  Whether  wisely  or  unwisely,  I  have  been  se- 
lected to  perform  this  duty. 

At  the  dawn  of  our  nation's  life  the  American  people 
set  forth  in  clarion  notes  the  purposes  sought  to  be  achieved 
by  the  aid  of  our  form  of  government.  These  purposes,  so 
noble  in  sentiment,  can  only  be  accomplished  through  avail- 
ing ourselves  of  our  opportunities,  and  when  wrought  out 
in  harmony  with  such  national  purposes,  they  bring  to  our 
nation  the  enduring  qualities  of  permanency  and  stability. 

Our  national  upbuilding  through  industrial,  political, 
educational  and  social  activities,  must  ever  rest  upon  the 
use  we  make  of  the  natural  resources  abounding  in  the 
United  States,  such  as  soil,  climate,  forests,  minerals  and 
water.  These  resources  are  generally  known  to  abound 
under  two  heads — first,  agriculture,  which  includes  pro- 
duction through  growth;  second,  mining,  which  includes 
those  products  now  ready  for  use. 

Consider  the  declaration  of  purposes  set  forth  in  the 
preamble  to  the  American  constitution  in  connection  with 
these  forces  of  nature  called  natural  resources,  together 
with  our  relations  to  other  nations  of  the  earth,  and  a  flood 
of  light  is  thrown  upon  the  use  that  can  be  made  of  these 
forces  in  bringing  into  actual  expression  these  declared 
purposes  underlying,  overlying  and  encompassing  the  op- 
portunities these  conditions  place  before  us.  Other  nations 
have  sought  progress  through  a  destruction  of  their  neigh- 
bors or  by  controlling  them  by  force.  But  the  character  of 
our  nation;  the  form  and  purpose  of  our  government;  our 
ideas  of  justice;  our  concepts  of  liberty;  pur  understanding 
of  the  basis  of  enduring  progress;  the  abundance  of  natural 


8  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

resources;  our  love  of  knowledge;  our  genius  in  exercising 
dominion  over  the  forces  of  nature;  our  respect  for  human 
rights,  and  the  grandeur  of  our  moral  concepts  as  a  nation, 
all  demand  that  development  through  internal  industry,  and 
not  through  external  plunder,  shall  ever  be  the  basis  of  our 
country's  hopes. 

We  are  beginning  to  understand  nationally  and  indi- 
vidually that 

"The  drying  up  of  a  single  tear  has  more 
Of  honest  fame  than  shedding  seas  of  gore." 

Internal  industry  should  mean  in  our  country  such  a 
scientific  and  co-ordinating  use  of  our  natural  resources 
as  result  from  a  comprehension  of  our  opportunities  in  the 
light  of  the  purposes  of  our  government  and  our  relations 
to  other  nations.  The  purposes  of  our  government  we  all 
understand,  but  no  true  and  lasting  national  development 
can  take  place  in  our  country  that  does  not  tend  to  form  a 
more  perfect  union,  establish  justice,  insure  domestic  tran- 
quility,  provide  for  the  common  defense,  promote  the  gen- 
eral welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to  ourselves 
and  our  posterity.  The  spirit  of  these  declarations  of  pur- 
pose should  ever  be  the  directing  forces  in  all  true  national 
development.  The  peculiar  character  of  our  government 
in  purpose  and  action  keeps  it  so  close  to  the  people  that 
from  necessity  it  becomes  a  vital  factor  of  co-operation 
in  giving  direction  to  effort. 

The  natural  forces  at  our  command,  and  through  the 
use  of  which  all  development  must  come,  are  such  as  our 
relations  to  other  countries;  the  markets  of  the  world;  our 
shore  lines  and  inland  water  ways  for  commerce;  abundance 
of  fertile  soil;  vast  forests;  water  for  reclamation  and  pow- 
er, and  vast  mineral  deposits.  In  a  general  sense,  all  the 
raw  material  through  the  use  of  which  all  industrial  de- 
velopment must  take  place,  comes  from  the  two  basic 
sources  of  agriculture  and  mining.  Agriculture  produces 
those  things  that  are  constantly  supplied  through  growth; 
mining  produces  those  things  which  are  not  being  renewed 
by  growth.  While  agriculture  is  the  primal  impulse  to  hum- 


ANNUAL  ADDRESS  OF  THE  PRESIDENT.          9 

an  effort,  because  the  source  of  food,  yet  the  real  vitality 
underlying  all  industrial  development  largely  rests  with 
mining,  whose  products  are  generally  more  enduring  than 
the  products  of  agriculture  and  afford  such  opportunities 
for  varied  and  permanent  development  through  manufac- 
ture and  commerce,  that  the  real  progress  of  this  nation 
largely  finds  its  underlying  impulse  in  mining.  The  im- 
pulse that  followed  the  discovery  and  use  of  our  great  de- 
posits of  coal,  oil,  gas,  zinc,  copper,  lead,  iron,  gold,  silver, 
and  water  powers,  has  not  only  given  vitality  to  agriculture 
but  has  placed  our  country  first  in  wealth  and  capacity  to 
achieve. 

To  the  credit  of  the  American  farmer,  he  felt  the 
need  of  governmental  co-operation  in  bringing  from  the  soil 
the  possibilities  which  intelligence  could  reveal.  The  mul- 
titude of  farmer  constituents  compelled  such  co-operation, 
and  by  this  governmental  co-operation  through  the  Agri- 
cultural Department,  agriculture  is  becoming  a  science; 
farming  is  becoming  more  attractive,  because  more  profit- 
able and  success  more  certain;  the  treatment  of  the  soil  and 
its  needs  are  better  understood;  plant  and  animal  life  are 
responding  to  intelligent  care;  insect  pests  are  being  de- 
stroyed; animal  disease  exterminated;  waste  prevented; 
quantity  of  production  increased;  quality  improved;  mar- 
kets found ;  citizenship  improved,  and  home  life  on  the  farm 
made  more  attractive.  In  fact,  the  purposes  of  our  govern- 
ment as  set  forth  in  the  preamble  to  our  constitution,  are 
finding  expression  through  thus  promoting  the  general  wel- 
fare. 

In  mining  a  fearful  waste  is  going  on.  Only  a  small 
percentage  of  the  effective  use  of  coal  mined  is  obtained; 
millions  of  tons  of  coal  are  being  wasted  from  false  mining 
methods ;  unlimited  quantities  of  natural  gas  destroyed  and 
lost;  great  waste  has  taken  place  in  placer  methods;  in  con- 
centrating processes,  reduction  systems,  and  mining  meth- 
ods; the  health  of  the  underground  miners  impaired;  thou- 
sands killed;  more  maimed,  and  conditions  making  for  bad 
citizenship  permitted. 


10  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

of  those  interested  in  mining,  a  sufficient  constituency  could 
be  aroused  to  induce  government  co-operation  in  improving 
mining  conditions  in  a  manner  similar  to  the  improvement 
that  has  thus  far  been  made  in  agricultural  conditions  I 

The  American  Mining  Congress  has  been  thundering  at 
the  doors  of  Congress  for  years,  trying  to  arouse  it  to  the 
needs  of  the  hour.  How  many  years  will  it  yet  take  to 
secure  efficient  action  in  this  respect?  The  President  rec- 
ommended legislation;  the  House  heeded  his  message;  the 
Senate  ignored  it.  Both  the  great  national  parties  have 
recognized  this  issue  in  their  national  platforms  this  year. 

Nature  has  been  generous  to  the  American  people  and 
it  needs  a  generous  heart  to  understand  and  co-operate  with 
her  in  bringing  to  the  American  people  that  character  of 
development  which  insures  permanency  and  stability 
through  intelligent  co-ordination  and  co-operation.  There 
would  seem  to  be  no  reason  why  the  nation,  the  states,  cities, 
corporations  and  individuals,  may  not  co-operate  in  bring- 
ing out  of  the  conditions  that  now  confront  us,  that  perma- 
nent and  stable  national  development  which  is  so  essential 
to  enduring  prosperity  and  happiness.  The  American  peo- 
ple have  arrived  at  that  stage  in  human  progress  when  less 
attention  should  be  given  to  governing  them  than  to  di- 
recting their  development.  A  busy  people  whose  ever  in- 
creasing wants  are  supplied,  need  little  governing. 

In  his  first  inaugural  address,  President  Jefferson  in 
expressing  his  idea  of  the  purposes  of  our  government,  used 
these  words:  "A  wise  and  frugal  government  which  shall 
restrain  men  from  injuring  one  another,  and  leave  them  oth- 
erwise free."  But  showing  people  how  to  arrive  at  right 
methods  of  development  in  harmony  with  the  purposes  of 
our  government  as  set  forth  in  the  preamble  to  our  consti- 
tution, will  be  much  more  effective  for  good  than  in  trying 
to  restrain  them  from  injuring  one  another  through  penal 
statutes. 

The  prodigal  use  of  nature's  bounties  in  this 'country 
Jias  begotten  wasteful  habits  an<3  tendencies  which  have 


ANNUAL  ADDRESS  OP  THE  PRESIDENT.          11 

entered  into  every  phase  of  human  effort.  Those  questions 
have  their  very  fiber  in  the  general  welfare  of  the  American 
people,  and  they  embrace  the  whole  reason  for  the  existence 
of  our  government.  The  time  has  come  in  American  affairs 
when  scientific  or  intelligent  development  must  displace 
the  accidental  or  wasteful  processes  heretofore  in  vogue. 
A  wasteful  use  of  nature 's  forces,  which  has  been  so  largely 
practiced  in  the  past,  cannot  much  longe'r  be  the  mainspring 
of  human  endeavor.  The  time  has  arrived  when  this  gov- 
ernment must  do  more  than  be  merely  frugal  and  restrain 
men  from  injuring  one  atiother;  it  must  co-operate  with  the 
American  people  in  opening  the  way  for  them  to  help  one 
another.  In  other  words,  its  action  must  be  more  and  more 
of  a  positive,  rather  than  of  a  negative  nature.  There  is  a 
waiting  people  in  this  land  possessing  the  capacity  to  com- 
prehend, the  genius  to  plan,  the  wisdom  to  direct,  the  cour- 
age to  undertake,  and  the  understanding  to  achieve  an  evo- 
lution .through  this  co-ordination  and  co-operation  worthy 
of  our  opportunities,  but  there  must  be  some  supreme  and 
directing  hand  to  guide  this  higher  form  of  development. 

The  products  of  agriculture  may  be  renewed;  the  pro- 
ducts of  mining  never.  A  large  percentage  of  the  products 
of  the  mines  when  once  -used,  is  destroyed  forever,  while  a 
large  part  is  of  a  more  permanent  nature  and  may  be  used 
indefinitely.  The  products  of  the  mines  in  this  country 
during  the  year  1906  amounted  to  about  two  billion  dollars 
in  value.  These  products  came  from  such  a  diversity  of 
territory  throughout  our  country  that  it  was  felt  this  fact 
justified  a  national  mining  organization  formed  to  encour- 
age the  higher  methods  of  co-operation  and  co-ordination- 
federal,  state,  local  and  individual— that  there  might  be 
wrought  out  of  this  source  of  material  wealth,  not  only  the 
best  results  from  a  mineral  standpoint,  but  also  the  best 
out  of  the  men  engaged  in  this  occupation.  To  this  end  the 
American  Mining  Congress  was  organized,  which  held  its 
last  session  in  the  zinc  fields  around  Joplin,  Mo. 

Those  who  have  been  most  prominent  in  this  organiza- 
tion, realizing  that  the  more  enduring  value  embraced  in 


12  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

these  mineral  resources  is  not  in  these  products  themselves, 
but  is  in  the  development  of  human  character  and  capacity 
to  achieve  and  enjoy  through  a  wise  development  and  use 
of  these  bounties  and  in  this  light,  have  undertaken  to  so 
organize  those  interested  in  this  great  industry,  that  gradu- 
ally all  that  is  best  in  both  the  mines  and  the  miner  can  be 
more  fully  realized. 

It  must  be  evident  that  in  an  attempt  to  develop  our 
material  resources  in  harmony  with  the  purposes  of  our 
government,  it  will  require  the  solution  of  great  questions, 
such  as  finance,  transportation  and  commerce.  We  have 
the  genius  to  solve  these  questions  aright  if  we  but  act  in 
harmony  with  the  true  principles  of  our  development — in- 
telligent co-ordination  and  co-operation.  Development 
through  this  form  of  co-operation  must  be  the  keynote  of 
America's  future. 

I  am  impressed  that  the  most  important  resource  we 
are  called  upon  to  conserve  and  develop  is  the  capacity  of 
the  American  people  to  achieve  and  enjoy,  through  a  correct 
understanding  of  how  to  make  a  right  use  of  our  opportuni- 
ties. This  is  a  union  of  states  and  our  development  must 
tend  to  form  a  more  perfect  union  through  intelligent  co-op- 
eration in  utilizing  all  our  material  resources  which  have 
no  value  in  themselves,  but  are  of  infinite  value  in  their  re- 
lation to  the  development  of  the  American  people.  We  have 
heretofore  to  a  large  extent  prospered  in  our  career  as  a 
people  by  the  prodigal  use  of  nature's  bounties  amounting 
to  wastefulness,  and  this  course  has  begotten  in  the  Amer- 
ican people  almost  a  habit  of  wastefulness  in  the  use  of 
physical,  moral  and  intellectual  forces.  This  habit  has  to 
a  large  extent  crept  into  business  methods  and  has  created 
a  gambling  spirit  or  a  mad  rush  for  things  we  have  not 
earned,  which  is  a  species  of  dishonesty.  This  is  not  in- 
telligent co-operation,  but  more  of  the  nature  of  destructive 
competition.  There  is  no  sound  business  logic  in  such  com- 
petition. The  only  competition  that  has  a  sound  foundation 
is  a  competition  in  service.  He  who  serves  best  should  suc- 
ceed best.  This  applies  to  all  phases  of  business  enter- 


ANNUAL  ADDRESS  OP  THE  PRESIDENT.         13 

prises.  But  there  have  been  tendencies  to  succeed  through 
destructive  competition.  As  a  national  effect,  this  is  a  fail- 
ure. This  kind  of  competition  should  be  obliterated  through 
governmental  regulation,  where  such  regulation  is  appli- 
cable. 

The  only  opposition  that  comes  to  the  full  use  of  navi- 
gation in  the  waterways  of  this  country  is  the  fear  of  de- 
structive competition,  and  thus  we  see  our  waterways  life- 
less so  far  as  their  use  for  transportation  is  being  made 
available.  There  must  be  a  way  to  so  co-ordinate  water  and 
land  transportation  and  regulate  the  same  that  they  shall 
both  be  benefited  and  rendered  more  stable  as  business  en- 
terprises, and  the  country  thereby  blessed.  This  country 
cannot  afford  to  lose  the  benefit  of  water  navigation  or  the 
crippling  of  land  transportation  through  a  wanton  com- 
petitive system. 

There  is  now  being  felt  a  great  need  to  conserve  our 
national  resources.  Why  conserve  them  except  to  promote 
the  general  welfare  ?  How  shall  they  be  conserved,  and  by 
whom  shall  they  be  conserved!  By  the  people  through  co- 
operation with  our  government  and  each  other,  municipali- 
ties, such  as  states,  cities,  etc.  The  national  government  is 
not  an  end,  but  the  means  to  an  end,  which  is  the  general 
welfare. 

In  the  noted  case  of  Gibbons  v.  Ogden,  Mr.  Justice  John- 
son, speaking  of  the  purpose  of  establishing  our  government, 
said:  "The  great  and  paramount  purpose  was  to  unite  this 
mass  of  wealth  and  power  for  the  protection  of  the  humblest 
individual;  his  rights,  civil  and  political,  his  interests  and 
prosperity,  are  the  sole  end.  The  rest  is  nothing  but  the 
means. " 

There  may  be  those  who  question  the  power  of  our  gov- 
ernment to  undertake  a  system  of  conservation  and  co-ordi- 
nation of  our  natural  resources.  While  our  government  is 
one  of  limited  powers,  it  is  supreme  as  to  the  powers  granted 
and  I  assume  that  the  power  to  regulate  all  undertakings 
over  which  the  national  government  has  jurisdiction  is  un- 


14  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

questioned,  carrying  with  it  those  things  which  are  neces- 
sarily incidental. 

In  structural  work  in  this  country  we  consume  annually 
iron  ore  to  the  value  of  about  one  hundred  million  dollars, 
and  we  are  informed  that  our  iron  ore  deposits  are  being 
rapidly  depleted.  Then  why  should  not  our  government 
co-operate  in  bringing  into  use  such  structural  materials 
as  building  stone,  clay  products,  cement,  lime,  sand,  gravel, 
slate,  and  mineral  paints. 

They  tell  us  that  our  forests,  the  greatest  in  the  world, 
are  nearly  depleted,  and  we  rejoice  that  our  government, 
through  the  Agricultural  Department,  is  now  co-operating 
with  the  American  people  in  an  effort  through  the  forestry 
service  to  produce  annually  the  amount  we  consume.  Al- 
most eighty  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  in  building  in  this 
country  is  expended  annually  and  lost  by  fire  and  in  main- 
taining fire  departments.  This  great  waste  could  be  large- 
ly avoided  and  thereby  saved,  did  we  understand  the  use 
of  building  materials  so  widely  distributed  as  above  enum- 
erated. 

Vast  quantities  of  coal  produced  are  being  wasted, 
blown  out  of  locomotives  unconsumed  and  in  many  other 
ways,  and  we  rejoice  to  know  that  our  government,  through 
the  Geological  Survey,  is  making  an  effort  to  bring  about 
a  great  saving  in  the  use  of  coal.  Since  1889  about  thirty 
thousand  miners  have  been  killed  by  explosions  and  other 
accidents  and  many  more  injured  and  crippled.  This  great 
waste  of  life  and  limb  should  be  and  could  be  largely  obvi- 
ated by  the  co-operation  of  our  government  in  this  respect, 
and  we  rejoice  to  know  that  our  government  is  becoming 
somewhat  aroused  to  the  great  injustice  being  inflicted 
upon  underground  workers. 

Why  should  not  our  government  co-operate  with  the 
miner  the  same  as  with  the  farmer?  This  organization  has 
labored  for  years  to  secure  a  Department  of  Mining,  but 
Congress  thus  far  has  refused  to  give  even  a  Mining  Bu- 
reau. Why  advocate  a  Bureau  of  Mines?  Because  we  be- 
lieve that  the  co-operation  of  the  government  with  the 


ANNUAL  ADDRESS  OF  THE  PRESIDENT.          15 

miner,  the  same  as  with  the  farmer,  is  absolutely  essential. 

We  notice  more  keenly  the  blessings  that  flow  by  this 
form  of  co-operation  in  the  West  than  you  do  in  the  East, 
because  the  great  deserts  of  the  West,  through  the  co-oper- 
ation of  our  government  by  the  reclamation  service,  are 
being  covered  with  trees,  school  houses,  temples  of  worship, 
cities,  towns  and  factories,  and  the  sage-brush  and  wild 
animals  replaced  with  a  prosperous  and  happy  people;  and 
through  this  form  of  co-operation  the  waters  that  have 
passed  untroubled  to  the  sea  for  untold  ages  are  now  being 
used  to  bring  the  resurrection  morn  to  the  parched  lips  of 
the  ^alleys  and  the  withered  breasts  of  the  plains,  and  the 
forces  of  the  falling  waters  in  those  great  mountains  are 
being  converted  into  power  to  lift  a  part  of  the  burden  of 
toil  from  the  shoulders  of  men;  and  we  believe  that  this 
same  character  of  uplift  can  be  given  to  mining  and  the 
miner  by  similar  co-operation.  With  a  Mining  Depart- 
ment, presided  over  by  a  man  especially  well  equipped  for 
that  work,  as  Secretary  Wilson  is  for  the  Agricultural  De- 
partment, the  results,  in  my  judgment,  would  be  even  more 
astounding. 

When  we  learn  what  Edward  Goodrich  Acheson  has 
done  in  relation  to  clays  and  the  conversion  of  waste  coal 
into  graphite,  we  are  reminded  that  every  such  discovery 
is  further  proof  of  the  unlimited  possibilities  of  this  old 
earth  when  it  surrenders  to  man's  dominion  through  his 
understanding  of  how  to  use  these  things. 

Wonderful  as  are  the  coal  deposits  of  the  great  State 
of  Pennsylvania,  they  fall  far  short  in  value  to  the  water 
power  of  New  York  when  subject  to  man's  dominion,  as 
those  sources  of  power  being  perpetually  renewed  will  con- 
tinue to  turn  the  wheels  of  industry,  bring  light  and  com- 
fort 10  the  home,  workshop  and  traveling  palace,  and  trans- 
port freight  and  passengers  long  after  the  coal  deposits  of 
Pennsylvania  have  been  exhausted  and  forgotten.  Nature 
makes  no  mistakes.  You  may  exhaust  the  coal  and  timber 
of  this  country,  but  you  will  never  exhaust  the  power,  resi- 
dent in  this  old  world,  that  understanding  will  reveal, 


16  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Owing  to  the  abundance  of  visible  fuel  from  forest  and 
coal  deposits,  the  water  was  permitted  to  ripple  on  to  the 
sea  in  idleness,  but  when  these  sources  of  power  began  to 
show  signs  of  exhaustion,  electricity,  apparently  gathered 
from  the  very  air,  was  harnessed  to  the  wheels  of  industry, 
and  as  C.  C.  Goodwin  says:  "It  is  a  wonderful  thing  that 
nature  away  back  when  this  world  was  being  freighted  for 
its  long  voyage,  took  on  board  everything  that  the  race  of 
man  which  then  existed  only  in  the  mind  of  God  would 
need,  that  a  few  obvious  things  were  put  in  sight  for  man 
while  he  was  groping  in  the  darkness  of  his  primitive  ig- 
norance; that  as  his  intelligence  increased  new  doors  would 
be  opened  to  him,  new  lights  would  come  to  him;  that  his 
destiny  was  to  keep  advancing  until  at  last  he  would  indeed 
stand  only  a  little  lower  than  the  angels. " 

The  possibilities  of  the  use  of  electric  current  with  wire 
and  wireless  thansmission,  have  scarcely  dawned  upon  the 
human  understanding.  But,  assuming  this  to  be  true,  it 
affords  no  justification  for  the  great  waste  taking  place 
in  tne  mining  and  use  of  coal,  but  it  is  through  a  right  use 
of  what  we  have  that  we  learn  and  become  qualified  to  dis- 
cover the  use  of  what  we  have  not. 

Some  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  remnant  of 
our  mineral  resources  and  our  forests  and  our  water  powers 
must  be  retained  in  the  keeping  of  the  national  govern- 
ment, but  a  very  grave  question  confronts  us  at  this  point. 
The  theory  and  the  practice  of  our  government  thus  far  has 
been  to  give  the  land  to  the  man  who  would  take  it  and 
make  a  home  upon  it  and  use  it;  to  give  the  mineral  to  the 
man  who  would  discover  it,  extract  it  and  convert  it  into 
forms  of  usefulness ;  to  give  the  timber  in  limited  quantities 
to  the  man  who  would  take  it  and  convert  it  into  forms  for 
human  needs;  to  give  the  water  power  to  him  who  would 
control  it  and  compel  it  to  serve  mankind.  Shall  the  gov- 
ernment now  abandon  its  theory  so  long  practiced,  or  shall 
it  undertake  to  give  direction  through  appropriate  legisla- 
tion, regulation  and  co-operation  to  the  use  of  these  great 
forces! 


ANNUAL  ADDRESS  OP  THE  PRESIDENT.          17 

In  the  light  of  these  conditions  the  American  Mining 
Congress  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  co- 
operation of  our  national  government  and  those  concerned 
in  the  uplifting  of  mining  and  the  miner,  in  placing  the 
mining  industry  on  a  plane  worthy  of  its  importance.  It 
is  thought  that  this  national  organization,  assisted  by  local 
branches,  could  be  of  inestimable  service  in  such  a  work. 
Its  plans  are  simple.  Its  annual  session  can  be  held  at  any 
point  that  would  be  of  the  greatest  service  in  stimulating  an 
interest  in  this  work.  Its  permanent  headquarters  are  lo- 
cated at  Denver,  Colorado,  a  central  point  and  easily  ac- 
cessible from  all  directions.  At  this  place  the  organization 
contemplates  the  construction  of  a  building  adequate  in  di- 
mensions to  meet  the  needs  of  the  organization,  in  form  and 
architecture  worthy  of  such  an  industry,  using  material  and 
plan  of  construction  that  would  typify  the  enduring  qual- 
ities of  mineral  production,  embellished  in  a  manner  that 
will  reveal  the  beauties  of  the  mineral  kingdom  when  har- 
monized with  durability  and  usefulness.  In  this  structure 
it  is  proposed  that  there  shall  be  kept  the  records  of  this 
organization  and  gathered  the  statistics  that  will  be  useful 
in  the  work  of  the  organization;  also  a  complete  library  in 
relation  to  mining — legal,  scientific  and  general;  also  that 
there  shall  be  gathered  there  through  the  years,  a  collection 
of  mineral  products — scientific,  beautiful  and  general. 

This  is  a  brief  statement  of  the  reasons  we  believe  jus- 
tify the  existence  and  support  of  this  national  organization 
known  as  the  American  Mining  Congress. 


Relation  of  the  Federal  Government  to  Mining. 


BY   SENATOR   CHARLES    DICK.    OF    OHIO. 

You  may  search  the  federal  constitution  through  and 
find  nothing  therein  giving  Congress  any  authority  or  jur- 
isdiction over  mining.  There  is  no  grant  of  power  to  Con- 
gress to  regulate  mines  and  mining.  The  business  of  min- 
ing is  not  interstate  commerce.  Congress  can  regulate 
commerce  among  the  several  states,  but  cannot  legislate  on 
production  or  manufacture. 

Congress  exercises  exclusive  jurisdiction  over  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia  and  has  power  to  make  needful  rules  and 
regulations  respecting  the  territories  belonging  to  the 
United  States.  There  is  no  mining,  as  we  know,  in  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia,  and  there  are  only  two  fully  organized 
territories,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  both  of  which  will 
doubtless  be  eventually  admitted  to  statehood,  at  which 
time  the  jurisdiction  of  Congress 'over  their  mines  and  min- 
ing operations  will  come  to  an  end.  The  only  territory  then 
left  with  valuable  mineral  deposits  over  which  the  Congress 
will  have  control  will -be  Alaska. 

Congress  has  absolutely  no  authority  to  pass  any  law 
regulating  mining  within  the  states.  It  cannot  provide  for 
federal  inspection  or  supervision  of  mines,  or  com'pel  the 
adoption  of  safety  devices  and  improved  methods  which 
may  tend  to  reduce  the  terrible  annual  loss  of  life  in  oru* 
coal  mines. 

These  limitations  on  the  power  of  the  federal  govern- 
ment must  be  well  understood  at  the  outset.  What  is  there 
left  then  that  the  United  States  government  can  do  for  this 
great  industry?  For  answer  we  say — Look  at  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture.  That  great  Department  which 
touches  more  people  directly,  excepting  only  the  Postoffice 
Department,  than  any  other  department  in  the  federal  gov- 
ernment, for  whose  operations  the  present  Congress  appro- 
priated eleven  and  two-thirds  millions  of  dollars,  an  invest- 


RELATION  OP  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.  19 

ment  which  will  return  greater  dividends  in  the  way  of 
substantial  benefit  to  the  people  than  an  equal  amount  ap- 
propriated for  any  other  Department.  This  Department 
of  Agriculture,  inaugurated  as  a  bureau  in  1862,  and  en- 
larged to  a  Department  in  1889,  is  established  on  as  firm  a 
foundation  as  the  Treasury  or  Postoffice  Department,  and 
the  constitutional  warrant  for  its  existence  and  continuance 
is  no  greater  and  no  less  than  is  the  constitutional  author- 
ity for  the  establishment  of  a  Bureau  or  Department  of 
Mines  and  Mining. 

You  are  all  more  or  less  familiar  with  the  scope  of 
Secretary  Wilson's  Department.  It  exercises  no  direct 
control  over  farming;  it  cannot  regulate  the  rotation  of 
crops;  it  cannot  compel  a  farmer  to  use  any  methods  to  ex- 
terminate scale,  or  blight,  or  rot,  and  yet  its  work  is  and 
has  been  of  inestimable  value  to  the  agricultural  interests 
of  the  country. 

It  has  paid  for  itself  many  times  over  through  what 
it  has  saved  the  American  farmer,  and  through  the  valu- 
able information  it  has  afforded  him.  It  is  a  strictly  scien- 
tific Department;  its  chief  function  is  to  investigate,  to  ex- 
periment, to  carry  out  original  research  work,  and  to  dis- 
seminate information  of  value  to  farmers  and  stock  raisers 
and  others  interested  in  its  researches. 

The  establishment  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
was  strongly  opposed  in  Congress  when  the  proposition 
was  up  for  consideration.  It  was  said  the  measure  was  un- 
constitutional, that  there  was  not  a  solitary  feature  in  the 
bill  calculated  in  any  degree  to  benefit  the  farming  inter- 
ests of  the  country,  and  that  what  the  farmers  most  desired 
from  the  general  government,  and  what  was  most  beneficial 
to  them,  was  to  be  let  alone;  in  short,  that  the  proposed 
measure  would  not  benefit  agriculture  in  the  least. 

It  is  now  twenty  years  since  these  predictions  were 
mad.^,  and  every  one  of  them  has  failed  absolutely  of  ful- 
fillment. To  be  sure,  this  is  not  an  appropriate  time  or 
place  to  set  forth  what  the  Department  of  Agriculture  has 
accomplished  for  the  good  of  the  whole  country  since  it 


20  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

was  organized,  but  a  brief  reference  to  some  of  its  achieve- 
ments will  be  of  value  by  way  of  illustrating  our  contention 
that  equal  benefits  can  be  brought  about  by  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Bureau  of  Mines  and  Mining. 

The  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry  has  waged  successful 
war  on  contagious  animal  diseases,  decreased  the  ravages  of 
all  of  them,  and  stamped  out  entirely  some  of  the  worst, 
saving  millions  of  dollars  annually. 

The  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  has  faced  the  problem  of 
plant  diseases  which  have  literally  destroyed  millions  of 
dollars  annually,  and  has  brought  them  under  control  and 
found  remedies  which  have  in  many  cases  eradicated  them 
entirely,  with  an  actual  cash  saving  of  millions  of  dollars 
a  year. 

The  Bureau  of  Chemistry,  by  its  study  of  foods  and 
preservatives  and  adulterants,  made  possible  the  passage 
of  the  Pure  Food  law,  one  of  the  most  beneficent  pieces  of 
legislation  of  recent  years,  which  has  literally  raised  the 
standard  of  living  of  the  entire  nation. 

The  Bureau  of  Soils,  by  its  investigation  of  soils  in 
their  relation  to  crops,  and  its  suggestions  of  improved 
methods  of  fertilization  of  poor  soils,  and  by  showing  what 
crops  are  best  adapted  to  special  soils,  has  enabled  farmers 
to  reclaim  such  waste  land,  and  has  increased  the  cash  value 
of  many  millions  of  acres. 

There  are  other  Bureaus  in  the  Agricultural  Depart- 
ment that  are  doing  equally  valuable  work,  but  we  will 
refer  to  only  one  more,  and  that  is  the  Bureau  of  Good 
Roads,  which  is  performing  a  work  of  great  educational 
value  and  instruction  in  the  making  of  good  roads. 

What  has  been  said  here  as  to  the  scope  of  the  work  of 
the  Agricultural  Department,  and  the  methods  by  which  it 
has  become  so  valuable  in  dollars  and  cents  to  the  American 
people,  shows  that  its  great  purpose  is  to  educate  the  farmer 
and  the  people  generally  to  better  methods  and  to  the  pre- 
vention of  waste. 

If  he  is  a  benefactor  of  mankind  who  causes  two  blades 
of  grass  to  grow  where  before  only  one  grew,  then  the  De- 


RELATION  OP  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.  21 

partment  of  Agriculture  has  been  a  great  blessing  to  the 
American  people,  because  it  has  taught  the  farmer  how  to 
increase  in  a  very  appreciable  degree  his  annual  yield  of 
everything  that  the  soil  produces. 

We  know  that  the  average  value  of  farm  lands  in  the 
United  States  has  increased  greatly  in  the  past  ten  years. 
How  much  of  this  increase,  amounting  in  some  instances  to 
fifty  per  cent  or  even  more,  should  be  credited  to  the  gen- 
eral prosperity  of  the  country,  and  how  much  to  the  effi- 
cient work  of  the  Agricultural  Department,  cannot  be  de- 
termined with  any  accuracy,  but  there  can  be  no  question 
that  there  are  many  cases  where  the  increase  of  farm  values 
must  be  attributed  directly  to  the  wise  efforts  of  this  De- 
partment, through  the  educational  campaign  it  conducts. 

While  it  may  be  the  common  impression  that  the  fed- 
eral government  has  not  been  doing  any  work  bearing  on 
the  mining  industry  of  the  country,  yet  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
a  great  deal  has  been  accomplished,  and  a  vast  amount  of 
work  is  now  being  carried  on  in  different  bureaus  and  di- 
visions of  the  federal  service  relating  to  this  subject.  The 
work  is  scattered,  however,  and  much  of  it  is  of  so  unobtru- 
sive a  character  that  the  results  attained  are  not  widely 
known  outside  the  narrow  circle  of  those  directly  inter- 
ested. 

There  can  be  no  question  that  it  would  be  a  great  gain 
in  efficiency  to  assemble  these  different  divisions  under 
one  head,  and  to  properly  co-ordinate  and  systematize  the 
different  branches  of  the  work.  Such  action  would  give 
an  official  status  to  the  mining  industry  that  the  federal 
government  does  not  now  accord  to  it. 

Most  of  the  mining  states  maintain  mining  bureaus, 
whose  business  it  is  to  inspect  mines,  and  to  prevent  acci- 
dents and  loss  of  life.  Much  of  this  state  inspection  service 
is  of  a  high  order  of  efficiency.  Without  it  the  loss  of  life 
in  mines  would  doubtless  be  much  greater  than  it  is,  but 
notwithstanding  this  state  supervision,  the  death  roll  of 
our  mines  has  mounted  steadily  upward  year  by  year. 
Were  all  the  states  to  investigate  thoroughly  and  scientifi- 


PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

cally  the  causes  of  mine  accidents,  much  unnecessary  dup- 
lication of  effort  would  result  that  could  be  avoided  with 
work  of  this  character  conducted  under  the  general  auspices 
of  a  federal  bureau,  adequately  equipped  and  supported. 
The  great  expense  attaching  to  complete  and  scientific 
work  along  these  lines  also  constitutes  a  serious  and  prac- 
tically prohibitory  objection  to  the  plan  of  individual  state 
investigation. 

It  is  not  alone  in  the  coal  mines  that  we  are  wasting 
human  life.  On  the  railroads,  in  our  steamer  travel,  in 
street  railway  transportation,  in  conflagrations  in  our  cities, 
in  the  workshops  and  factories,  the  big  steel  mills  and  blast 
furnaces,  in  the  construction  of  our  buildings  and  through 
numerous  other  channels  of  activity  we  are  killing  more 
men  proportionately  than  any  other  country  in  the  world. 

As  a  nation  we  are  yet  in  our  infancy,  and  like  the  child 
we  are  learning  by  hard  experiences.  The  infant  does  not 
know  the  difference  between  hot  and  cold  until  he  has  burnt 
his  fingers.  So  it  is  with  us,  and  so  it  has  been  with  every 
other  nation.  In  Europe  the  mines  formerly  killed  as  many 
men  as  we  are  now  killing  in  that  way.  Years  ago  these 
countries  had  the  same  terrifying  experiences  that  we  are 
now  having,  and  we  should  profit  from  their  experiences, 
as  well  as  from  our  own. 

In  the  midst  of  a  prosperity  and  development  that  have 
amazed  the  world  we  have  not  paid  as  much  attention  to  the 
value  of  human  life  as  we  should,  but  we  are  now  coming  to 
a  rapid  realization  of  the  true  situation,  and  what  is  still 
better,  we  are  seeking  to  apply  the  proper  remedies.  Ac- 
cording to  Census  statistics  for  1906,  there  were  in  the 
United  States  one  hundred  thousand  deaths  from  violence. 
This  not  only  includes  the  ten  thousand  killed  on  the  rail- 
roads, three  thousand  killed  in  the  coal  mines,  three  thou- 
sand killed  in  street  railway  traffic,  fifteen  hundred  burned 
to  death  in  fires,  the  men  killed  in  workshops,  factories, 
building  construction  and  many  other  lines  of  human  en- 
deavor, but  also  the  murders,  the  suicides,  the  drownings 
and  other  casualties.  Someone  with  an  aptitude  for  figures 


RELATION  OF  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.  23 

has  estimated  that  twenty-five  thousand  should  be  de- 
ducted from  the  total  of  one  hundred  thousand  as  the  num- 
ber dying  through  accidental  or  premeditated  personal  vio- 
lence. This  means  that  the  toll  of  deaths  in  the  industries 
in  1906  reached  the  enormous  total  of  seventy-five  thou- 
sand. It  is  also  estimated  by  the  same  authority  that  if  we 
had  the  same  proportionate  rate  of  deaths  in  the  industries 
as  in  Europe,  this  total  would  not  exceed  twenty-five  thou- 
sand each  year.  Thus  you  see  we  are  needlessly  wasting 
each  year  in  the  United  States  fifty  thousand  human  lives. 

In  favoring,  the  establishment  of  a  Bureau  of  Mines 
and  Mining,  those  interested  in  the  mining  industry  are 
seeking,  with  a  most  commendable  display  of  patriotism 
and  public  spirit,  to  do  their  share  in  the  efforts  to  promote 
better  conditions,  and  to  minimize  those  agencies  so  de- 
structive of  human  life,  incident  to  the  evolution  of  our  gi- 
gantic and  ever  increasing  industrial  and  commercial  en- 
terprises. 

There  are  numerous  precedents ,  for  the  appropriation 
of  money  by  Congress  to  check  the  destruction  of  property 
through  plagues  and  other  causes.  The  cotton  growing 
states  of  the  South  were  greatly  disturbed  a  few  years  ago 
by  the  cotton  boll  weevil,  which  caused  damage  to  the  cotton 
crop  amounting  to  millions  of  dollars,  and  which  appeared 
to  be  beyond  the  control  of  the  states.  Congress  appropri- 
ated half  a  million  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  checking  this 
waste  and  removing,  if  possible,  the  cause.  At  another 
time  Congress  appropriated  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  in 
an  endeavor  to  save  the  New  England  states  from  the  gypsy 
moth,  which  had  destroyed  a  great  deal  of  property,  and 
threatened  to  spread  over  that  entire  section  of  country. 
In  both  instances  these  pests  were  terribly  destructive  of 
property,  and  the  states  apparently  were  unable  to  cope 
with  the  evil,  until  Congress  came  to  the  rescue.  In  neither 
of  these  cases,  however,  was  a  single  human  life  involved. 
Surely,  if  Congress  is  permitted  under  the  Constitution  to 
appropriate  funds  to  destroy  insects,  it  is  vested  with  the 
right  also  to  appropriate  for  the  saving  of  human  li 


24  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

In  1906,  two  thousand  and  sixty-one  men  were  killed  in 
the  coal  mines  of  the  United  States,  and  four  thousand  eight 
hundred  were  injured.  In  1907  more  than  three  thousand 
were  killed.  The  death  roll  from  this  cause  for  the  past 
seventeen  years  amounts  to  a  total  of  twenty-two  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  forty,  of  which  probably  half  have  been 
killed  during  the  past  six  years.  The  number  of  fatal  ac- 
cidents has  increased  steadily  year  by  year,  and  is  now 
double  what  it  was  in  1895. 

John  Mitchell  well  said,  in  commenting  on  this  point: 
"It  is  a  sad  commentary  upon  our  vaunted. civilization  that 
more  men  are  killed  or  crippled  in  mining  in  the  United 
States  than  in  any  other  nation  on  earth. ' ' 

The  coal  mines  of  the  United  States  are  killing  over 
three  times  as  many  men  per  thousand  men  employed,  as 
the  coal  mines  of  France  and  Belgium,  and  two  and  one- 
half  times  as  many  as  are  killed  in  the  coal  mines  of  Great 
Britain.  In  all  the  coal  producing  countries  of  the  world 
the  output  has  increased  greatly  in  the  past  ten  years,  but 
the  United  States  is  the  only  country  where  the  number 
of  men  killed,  per  thousand  employed,  has  also  increased. 
In  every  European  country  there  has  been  a  marked  and 
steady  decrease  in  casualties  in  coal  mines.  This  decrease 
has  not  been  due  alone  to  the  inspection  and  supervision 
maintained  by  mining  bureaus,  but  has  been  made  possible 
because  those  nations  have  maintained  splendidly  equipped 
testing  stations,  such  as  the  federal  government  is  installing 
here  in  Pittsburg,  where  exhaustive  experiments  have  been 
carried  on  to  test  explosives  and  safety  appliances. 

In  Belgium,  when  the  government  began  these  experi- 
ments, the  death  roll  in  the  mines  was  practically  as  great 
as  in  the  United  States  today.  Today  less  than  one-third 
as  many  lives  proportionately  are  lost  by  coal  mine  acci- 
dents in  Belgium  as  in  this  country. 

Dr.  J.  A.  Holmes,  expert  in  charge  of  the  testing  sta- 
tion of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  said  more  than 
a  year  ago  that,  unless  some  action  was  taken,  an  increase 
in  the  number  and  in  the  seriousness  of  mine  disasters  in 


RELATION  OF  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.  25 

this  country  might  be  expected  to  continue.  His  statement 
was  followed  by  the  terrible  explosions  in  Pennsylvania, 
West  Virginia  and  Alabama  of  last  December,  verifying  his 
prediction. 

The  accidents  which  happen  in  coal  mines  can  be  at- 
tributed to  a  number  of  causes.  They  are  due  in  part  to 
lack  of  proper  and  enforcible  mine  regulations,  in  part  to  a 
willful  disregard  of  such  regulations,  in  part  to  the  absence 
of  exact  knowledge  concerning  powder  and  other  mine  ex- 
plosives, and  the  conditions  under  which  they  can  be  used 
with  safety  in  the  presence  of  mine  gas  and  coal  dust. 

The  further  fact  that  the  number  of  men  engaged  in 
this  industry  is  increasing  so  rapidly  constitutes  an  ad- 
ditional element  of  danger.  Most  of  the  coal  mined  in  this 
country  is  removed  from  a  comparatively  short  distance 
below  the  surface.  In  foreign  countries  most  of  the  coal 
is  taken  from  great  depths.  As  mining  conditions  in  this 
country  more  nearly  approach  those  in  foreign  countries, 
the  dangers  attaching  to  the  industry  will  increase,  and  to 
a  greater  degree  more  strict  supervision  will  be  necessary 
to  prevent  still  greater  increase  in  loss  of  life. 

The  fact  that  the  real  causes  of  many  of  our  worst 
mine  disasters  are  not  known  absolutely,  has  increased  the 
demand  that  the  federal  government  investigate  the  whole 
situation.  One  of  the  disheartening  features  about  the 
worst  coal  mine  disaster  of  last  year,  the  one  at  Fairmont, 
West  Virginia,  was  the  fact  that  it  took  place  in  a  mine 
counted  one  of  the  safest  and  best  equipped  and  conducted 
coal  mines  in  the  country.  Last  January  the  coal  oper- 
ators of  West  Virginia  and  Western  Pennsylvania  adopted, 
among  others,  this  resolution: 

"Besolved,  That  at  the  present  time  we  are 
at  a  total  loss  to  account  for  many  of  these  dis- 
asters which  have  occurred  in  the  best  regulated 
mines  in  the  country;  such  as  have  been  regarded 
heretofore  as  absolutely  safe  by  the  owners  and 
managers  who  have  spared  no  expense,  and  by  the 
mine  inspectors  of  the  several  states. " 


26  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

The  verdict  of  the  coroner's  jury  contained  the  follow- 
ing recommendation: 

"  There  are  many  unsolved  questions  con- 
nected with  coal  mine  disasters  in  the  United 
States,  and  it  is  our  recommendation  that  Con- 
gress make  an  appropriation  for  investigating  the 
cause  of  these  disasters,  which  are  so  destructive 
to  life  and  to  the  resources  of  the  country.7' 

Congress  made  the  appropriation  and  the  investigation 
is  being  carried  on.  Much  valuable  information  has  already 
been  obtained.  Some  brands  of  powder  labeled  "Safety 
Explosive7'  and  generally  believed  to  be  so,  have  been  con- 
clusively proved  not  entitled  to  that  designation.  As  a 
result  of  this  discovery,  the  manufacturers  of  these  powders 
have  been  at  work  modifying  the  ingredients,  so  as  to  pro- 
duce powders  that  can  be  handled  with  safety  by  the  miner. 
Many  practical  coal  miners  of  long  experience  have  long 
refused  to  believe  that  coal  dust  is  explosive.  Twenty  spec- 
imens gathered  in  Ohio  coal  mines  were  submitted  recently 
to  the  United  States  Testing  Station,  and  every  one  was 
ignited  by  the  powder  and  exploded  with  terrific  force.  It 
is  by  such  experiments  as  this  that  a  great  many  accidents 
can  and  will,  in  the  future,  be  averted. 

The  function,  then,  of  the  federal  government  in  rela- 
tion to  mining  is,  through  thorough  scientific  investiga- 
tions, similar  to  those  which  have  proved  effective  in  other 
mineral  producing  countries,  to  obtain  and  publish  informa- 
tion concerning  the  explosives  used  in  the  mines,  and  the 
conditions  under  which  they  can  be  safely  used  in  the  pres- 
ence of  coal  dust  or  gas,  and  also  concerning  other  condi- 
tions which  will  make  mining  safer. 

While  such  information  can  give  no  warrant  to  Congress 
to  legislate  on  the  subject,  yet  it  cannot  be  questioned  that 
it  will,  where  necessary,  compel  the  adoption  of  state  legis- 
lation, as  will  result  in  mutual  agreement  and  co-operation 
between  the  operators  and  miners  for  the  accomplishment 
of  the  same  end. 


RELATION  OF  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.  27 

It  is  said  that  fifty  per  cent  of  all  the  fatal,  and  thirty- 
nine  per  cent  of  all  the  non-fatal  mine  accidents  in  the 
United  States  were  the  result  of  falls  of  roof  and  coal. 
With  the  growing  scarcity  of  timber  available  for  props, 
these  accidents  are  liable  to  increase  in  number,  unless  ex- 
cessive charges  of  explosives  are  prohibited,  and  the 
amount  of  such  explosives  which  can  be  safely  used  is  defi- 
nitely fixed.  The  explosion  of  an  excessive  amount  of  pow- 
der or  dynamite,  while  it  may  not  bring  down  the  roof  at 
the  time  the  explosion  takes  place,  is  very  liable  to  so  weak- 
en it  that  it  may  fall  without  warning  days  or  even  months 
after,  and  cause  loss  of  life. 

There  is  no  other  country  in  the  world  where  the  nat- 
ural conditions  are  so  favorable  for  mining  coal  safely  as 
in  the  United  States.  The  death  rate  in  our  coal  mines  is 
perhaps  in  no  greater  ratio  than  on  the  railroads  and  in 
some  other  industries ;  but  what  we  should  realize,  and  real- 
ize at  once,  is  that  it  can  and  should  be  greatly  reduced,  and 
I  have  great  confidence  that  the  investigation  into  this  sub- 
ject, now  being  made  by  the  federal  government,  will  be 
rewarded  by  many  human  lives  saved  from  death,  and  men 
from  being  maimed  and  crippled. 

The  other  great  problems  connected  with  coal  mining 
directly  affecting  every  one  of  us,  and  our  posterity  even 
more,  and  which  is  therefore  of  national  concern  and  jus- 
tifies the  action  of  the  federal  government,  is  the  great 
waste  which  is  going  on  in  our  natural  resources. 

If  a  farm  crop  is  a  failure  this  year,  the  next  year  may 
under  proper  conditions  see  a  large  crop.  Water  which 
goes  to  waste  today  may  be  saved  tomorrow,  and  forests 
may  in  time  be  restored;  but  a  coal  mine  or  mine  of  gold  or 
silver  or  copper,  once  exhausted,  can  never  again  be  re- 
stored. 

At  the  Conference  of  Governors  on  the  Conservation 
of  Our  Natural  Resources,  held  at  the  White  House  last 
May,  the  attention  of  the  American  people  was  called  in  no 
uncertain  tones  to  the  great  waste  of  our  natural  resources 
which  is  constantly  going  on.  The  American  people  have 


PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

earned  the  reputation  the  world  over  of  being  extravagant 
and  profligate  in  many  ways.  It  is  said  that  we  waste  as 
much  food  as  some  other  nations  require  for  their  entire 
subsistence.  We  have  not  been  economical  perhaps  be- 
cause our  resources  have  apparently  been  so  limitless  that 
their  exhaustion  has  seemed  an  impossibility. 

In  the  case  of  our  coal  consumption,  what  we  use  is  not 
so  appalling  as  what  we  waste.  Various  estimates  have 
been  given  as  to  the  length  of  time  our  coal  supply  will  last. 
It  has  been  put  as  high  as  four  hundred  years  and  as  low 
as  less  than  one  hundred  years.  The  domestic  coal  supply 
is  disappearing  at  the  rate  of  four  hundred  million  tons 
por  year,  and  our  experts  tell  us  that  in  the  mining  opera- 
tions of  the  present  time  nearly  one-half  of  the  yearly  pro- 
duction is  being  wasted.  Dr.  Holmes  says  that  at  the  pres- 
ent rate  of  increase  in  consumption  the  better  part  of  the 
fuel  supply  will  be  gone  at  the  end  of  the  present  century, 
unless  proper  steps  are  taken  to  remedy  present  wasteful 
methods.  The  problem  of  fuel  supply  has  reached  a  point 
where  there  may  be  trouble  within  the  life  time  of  children 
now  living.  At  the  present  rate  of  coal  consumption,  it  is 
more  than  likely  that  the  calamity  of  dearer  fuel  will  face  us 
inside  of  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Deep  mining  and  long 
transportation  will  certainly  greatly  increase  the  price. 

The  American  supremacy  in  manufacture  has  been 
gained  by  the  possession  of  cheap  fuel.  It  is  hard  to  real- 
ize the  great  increase  in  the  coal  output  of  the  United 
States  within  the  past  few  years.  The  production  today  is 
more  than  double  what  it  was  ten  years  ago;  it  has  trebled 
since  1890  and  has  quadrupled  since  1886.  In  a  period  of 
forty  years  the  percentage  of  the  total  coal  output  of  the 
world  produced  in  the  United  States  has  increased  from 
fourteen  per  cent  to  nearly  forty  per  cent.  It  is  only  nine 
years  since  the  United  States  became  the  largest  coal  pro- 
ducer in  the  world,  but  in  that  time  it  has  so  far  outdis- 
tanced Great  Britain,  its  nearest  competitor,  that  at  the 
present  rate  of  increase  it  will  be  only  a  matter  of  two  or 


RELATION  OP  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.  29 

three  years  before  our  coal  output  is  double  that  of  Great 
Britain. 

A  train  of  cars  which  could  transport  our  coal  output 
of  1907,  with  an  average  of  fifty  tons  to  a  car,  would  circle 
the  earth  at  the  equator  two  and  two-thirds  times. 

We  cannot  check  our  magnificent  industrial  develop- 
ment to  save  coal  for  posterity;  but,  as  previously  indicated, 
the  loss  is  not  so  much  what  we  use,  as  what  we  waste. 
This  waste  arises  not  only  in  the  coal  that  is  left  under- 
ground in  worked  out  mines,  partly  as  pillars  "to  support 
the  roof,  partly  as  discarded  coal  of  inferior  quality,  and 
partly  because  the  working  out  of  the  lower  and  best  beds 
of  coal  frequently  breaks  and  renders  impossible  the  subse- 
quent mining  of  superincumbent  veins,  but  it  is  because  of 
the  great  waste  of  energy  in  coal  actually  consumed. 

As  has  been  pointed  out  time  and  again,  we  do  not  ob- 
tain for  actual  consumption  more  than  five  to  ten  per  cent 
of  the  potential  energy  of  the  coal  we  burn.  The  rest  goes 
to  making  steam  and  smoke  and  overcoming  friction  and 
inertia.  Nearly  one-third  of  the  total  coal  supply  of  the 
country  is  used  in  railway  operations,  and  not  over  five  per 
cent  of  that  is  used  in  the  actual  work  of  pulling  trains. 
We  use  a  vast  amount  of  coal  to  produce  electric  lights,  and 
yet  usually  less  than  one-fifth  of  one  per  cent  is  actually 
converted  into  light.  How  best  to  conserve  the  energy  of 
coal  which  goes  to  waste  in  this  manner  is  a  problem  the 
federal  government  can  well  take  up  and  devote  its  best 
energies  to  solving.  Investigations  already  made  by  the 
Technologic  branch  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey 
show  how  it  is  possible  to  obtain  two  or  three  times  as  much 
energy  from  coal  as  is  obtained  by  present  methods,  and 
still  greater  improvement  is  no  doubt  possible. 

We  have  plenty  of  fuel  supply  in  this  country,  both  for 
our  present  needs  and  for  all  future  needs,  if  we  will  stop 
the  waste  and  practice  increasing  efficiency  in  the  trans- 
formation of  coal  into  power.  Recent  investigations  con- 
ducted by  the  Geological  Survey  have  demonstrated  that 
low-grade  coals  which  we  have  been  in  the  habit  of  throw- 


30  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

ing  away,  because  they  could  not  be  burned  in  ordinary 
furnaces,  can  be  used  to  great  advantage  in  developing 
power  by  means  of  the  gas  producer  and  gas  engine.  As 
individuals  we  are  prone  to  think  only  of  the  present  and 
our  present  interests  and  desires.  It  is  the  duty  of  the 
nation  to  look  to  the  future  and  to  provide  for  coming  gen- 
erations, and  there  is  no  question  which  concerns  the  future 
more  than  the  problem  of  an  adequate  supply  of  cheap  fuel. 

Many  scientists  and  many  practical  men  believe  that 
processes  will  in  time  be  discovered  which  will  do  away 
with  practically  all  this  immense  waste  of  power  and  fuel, 
and  the  federal  government  can  well  afford  to  provide  an- 
nually for  investigations  along  this  line  of  inquiry,  under 
the  direction  of  an  efficiently  conducted  bureau. 

The  government  has  for  several  years  past  been  en- 
gaged in  performing  important  work  in  the  analyzing  amd 
testing  of  coals  and  lignites  of  the  United  States  and  the 
investigation  of  structural  materials. 

The  fuel  bill  of  the  United  States  government  buildings 
now  aggregates  about  ten  million  dollars  yearly.  The  tests 
made  of  coal  by  the  United  States  government,  with  the  re- 
sulting grading  of  fuels  according  to  their  caloric  efficiency, 
have  already  made  a  saving  in  the  government  annual  coal 
bill  of  thousands  of  dollars.  The  government  has  investi- 
gated the  smoke  nuisance  and  the  results  obtained  show 
that  every  type  of  coal  may  be  burned  practically  smoke- 
less, and  the  elimination  of  the  smoke  which  now  pours  in 
a  filthy  mass  out  of  our  chimneys  means  not  only  greater 
comfort  and  greater  cleanliness  for  each  one  of  us,  but  it 
also  means  less  waste  and  greater  efficiency.  Investiga- 
tions of  the  government  also  show  that  much  of  the  coal 
heretofore  wasted  can  be  conserved  by  making  it  into 
briquets..  In  this  way  great  quantities  of  coal  that  are  now 
wasted  can  be  utilized  for  generating  power  and  for  rail- 
road and  domestic  purposes. 

Eecent  experiments  at  the  government  fuel  testing 
plant  at  Denver,  Colorado,  show  that  many  coals  can  be 
greatly  improved  by  washing,  at  a  nominal  cost  of  from 


RELATION  OF  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.  SI 

three  to  ten  cents  per  ton.  The  experts  there  have  also 
succeeded  in  making  coke  out  of  a  great  variety  of  coals 
that  have  heretofore  been  regarded  as  non-coking.  The 
United  States  is  the  greatest  consumer  of  structural  ma- 
terials, the  building  and  engineering  construction  work  of 
the  government  row  aggregating  forty  millions  yearly, 
and  while  this  work  is  being  done  for  the  government  itself , 
the  problems  thus  solved  cannot  fail  to  be  of  incalculable 
benefit  to  the  entire  country. 

What  I  have  thus  briefly  referred  to  relates  to  the  pre- 
vention of  accidents  and  loss  of -life  and  the  prevention 
of  waste  in  the  coal  mining  industry.  The  same  considera- 
tions, however,  apply  to  all  branches  of  the  mining  industry. 
The  loss  of  life  in  the  copper  mines  of  the  United  States  is 
said  to  be  almost  as  great  comparatively  as  in  the  coal 
mines,  and  we  know  the  waste  in  gold  and  silver  mining 
has,  in  the  past,  been  so  great  that  under  improved  methods 
of  extracting  the  ore  the  tailings  and  refuse  of  former  op- 
erations today  furnish  a  splendid  profit  on  reworking. 

Aside  from  those  purposes  immediately  apparent  as 
most  pressing  for  attention  and  pursuit  under  its  regular 
and  legitimate  prerogatives,  there  are  very  many  lines  of 
educational,  industrial  and  commercial  effort,  too  numerous 
to  admit  of,  more  than  passing  mention  of  a  few,  that  will 
be  directly  and  materially  benefited  by  information  ob- 
tained through  the  investigations  of  a  Bureau  of  Mines  and 
Mining. 

Congress  makes  appropriation  annually  for  the  sup- 
port of  agricultural  colleges  in  the  several  states.  A  bill  is 
pending  to  apply  a  portion  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sales  of 
public  lands  to  the  endowment  in  connection  with  these 
agricultural  institutions  of  schools  or  departments  of  mines 
and  mining.  The  Senate  Committee,  of  which  I  have  the 
honor  to  be  Chairman,  reported  the  bill  favorably,  and  the 
Senate  has  passed  it.  The  following  paragraphs  appear  in 
that  report: 

"The  splendid  success  which  has  in  every  case  at- 
tended the  establishment  of  the  agricultural  and  mechani- 


PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

cal  colleges,  and  the  invaluable  work  they  have  done  in  de- 
veloping and  increasing  the  agricultural  wealth  of  the  na- 
tion, have  abundantly  justified  the  wisdom  of  the  act  which 
founded  them.  Your  Committee  believed  that  the  passage 
of  this  bill  will  do  for  the  mining  interests  of  the  country 
what  has  been  so  well  done  under  the  original  act  for  our 
agricultural  interests.  It  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge 
that  notwithstanding  the  great  value  of  our  mineral  pro- 
duct, amounting  in  1900  to  the  stupendous  aggregate  of 
$1,070,108,888,  there  is  yet  an  enormous  waste  in  the  pres- 
ent process  of  extracting  both  precious  and  common  miner- 
als. There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  scientific  research, 
investigation  and  experiment  will  eventually  develop 
methods  and  processes  by  which  a  large  part  of  this  waste 
can  be  avoided,  and  the  aggregate  wealth  of  the  nation 
thereby  vastly  increased. 

"It  is  a  well  recognized  fact  that  the  science  and  art 
of  agriculture  in  the  United  States  have  been  revolution- 
ized through  the  agency  of  the  agricultural  experiment 
stations  established  under  the  act  of  Congress  of  1887. 
Your  Committee  believe  that  the  same  methods  which  have 
produced  such  fruitful  results  in  the  field  of  that  great  in- 
dustry will  be  equally  productive  when  applied  to  the  de- 
velopment of  our  untold  mineral  wealth,  and  it  seems  in- 
contestable that  it  is  as  much  the  right  and  the  duty  of  the 
federal  government  to  extend  aid  in  the  latter  case  as  in  the 
former.  The  amount  appropriated  by  the  bill  to  forty- 
eight  states  and  territories  is  for  the  first  year  $480,000,  and 
will  amount  at  the  end  of  ten  years  to  $960,000  per  annum. 
If  this  expenditure  should  result  in  increasing  by  only  one- 
tenth  of  one  per  cent  pur  annual  mineral  product,  the  coun- 
try would  be  more  than  repaid  in  the  direct  increase  of 
wealth,  of  tax-paying  power,  and  above  all,  in  the  widely 
diffused  increase  of  intelligence  and  skill;  for  every  dollar 
of  mineral  wealth  wrested  from  the  soil  is  new  wealth, 
which  goes  into  general  use,  permanently  increasing  the 
volume  of  metallic  circulation  and  contributing  ready  ma- 


RELATION  OF  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.          33 

terial  for  the  arts,  sciences,  and  the  conveniences  of  civil- 
ized life." 

The  problems  which  are  being  presented  to  the  mem* 
bers  of  the  mining  and  metallurgical  profession  are  increas- 
ing in  complexity  year  by  year.  It  is  becoming  necessary 
to  conduct  mining  operations  at  greater  length,  and  this 
involves  new  problems  in  hoisting,  pumping,  drainage  and 
ventilation.  The  necessity  for  making  closer  savings  in  all 
metallurgical  processes  is  resulting  in  the  invention  of  new 
methods  and  the  improvement  of  old  ones.  In  many 
branches  methods  are  now  in  use  which  have  not  undergone 
any  change  or  improvement  for  periods  varying  from  a 
decade  to  a  century,  and  we  can  scarcely  look  to  any  other 
source  than  technical  education  for  leaders  to  attack  these 
problems.  The  day  of  accidental  discovery  is  largely  gone 
by,  and  the  greatest  advances  of  the  future  must  be  made 
by  approaching  the  problems  from  a  scientific  point  of  view 
and  conducting  experiments  in  a  more  systematic  manner 
than  is  customary  with  the  hit-or-miss  operators  whose  ex- 
periments are  conducted  without  rhyme  or  reason. 

Of  the  total  mineral  products  of  the  country,  nearly 
one-third,  or  a  total  value  of  657%  million  dollars,  are  pro- 
duced in  Pennsylvania,  while  the  three  states  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, Ohio  and  Illinois  furnish  more  than  one-half  of  the 
entire  output.  Every  state  and  territory,  however,  appears 
in  the  recapitulation  by  states,  and  the  value  of  the  output 
in  every  state  except  Delaware  equals  in  value  about  one 
million  dollars  and  upwards. 

In  the  past  decade  great  progress  has  been  made  in  the 
clay  working  industries  of  the  country,  both  in  quality  and 
quantity  of  ware,  the  total  value  of  the  output  having  dou- 
bled in  that  time.  There  have  been  improvements  in  pro- 
cesses of  manufacture  and  great  economies  in  production, 
and  undoubtedly  there  is  a  large  field  open  for  further  im- 
provement. 

The  great  range  in  prices  the  country  over  of  many 
clay  products  indicates  as  well  as  figures  can  tell,  the  field 
of  usefulness  of  a  scientific  bureau  which  will  do  much 


34  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

needed  work  in  analyzing  clays,  in  pointing  out  the  possi- 
bilities of  known  deposits,  and  in  showing  how  economies 
can  be  practiced  in  manufacture. 

The  pottery  business  of  the  country  suffered  more  in 
1907  than  did  any  branch  of  the  clay- working  industries, 
the  total  value  of  pottery  products  decreasing  from  over 
thirty-one  million  dollars  to  thirty  million  dollars,  or  4.13 
per  cent,  although  the  value  of  the  output  in  this  country 
has  doubled  in  the  past  ten  years.  The  home  production  is 
now  equal  to  nearly  three-fourths  of  the  consumption,  and 
is  steadily  gaining,  with  promises  that  before  long  the  do- 
mestic ware  will  supply  the  entire  demand.  The  quality  is 
improving  also  and  there  is  no  reason  why  American  pot- 
tery will  not,  in  a  short  time,  be  admitted  by  all  to  be  the 
equal  of  the  very  best  imported  ware.  White  ware  is  pro- 
duced in  nine  states,* but  it  could  profitably  be  produced  in 
many  of  the  Western  states,  where  there  is  an  abundance  of 
accessible  and  suitable  material. 

New  Jersey  and  Ohio  are  now  the  leading  pottery  pro- 
ducing states,  turning  out  sixty-eight  per  cent  of  the  total 
product,  and  Trenton  and  East  Liverpool  are  the  great  pot- 
tery centers.  Their  total  output  in  1906  was  nearly  thir- 
teen million  dollars  in  value,  which  was  slightly  less  than 
the  value  of  earthen  ware,  china  and  porcelain,  decorated 
and  undecorated,  imported  the  same  year  into  the  United 
States. 

The  statistics  of  the  clay-working  industries  of  the 
United  States  in  1907,  issued  by  the  Gelogical  Survey,  show 
the  number  of  permits  issued,  or  of  buildings  erected  there- 
under in  the  leading  cities  of  the  United  States,  together 
with  the  character  of  the  buildings.  From  the  fifty  cities 
reporting  it  appears  that  of  the  permits  issued  or  buildings 
erected,  over  sixty  per  cent  were  for  wooden  buildings,  and 
nearly  forty  per  cent  were  for  brick  and  stone  construction. 
A  number  of  large  cities  in  the  country  report  the  construc- 
tion of  fire-resisting  buildings  exceeding  in  value  the  con- 
struction of  wooden  buildings,  but  the  relation  of  sixty  per 
cent  to  forty  per  cent  shows  the  continuance  of  the  practice 


RELATION  OF  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.  35 

in  this  country  of  furnishing  abundant  material  for  the  fire 
demon.  For  illustration,  we  have  only  to  think  of  the  Iro- 
quois  Theater  fire,  with  its  six  hundred  lives  lost,  and  even 
within  the  past  year  of  the  heartrending  catastrophes  at 
Collmwood,  0.,  and  Boyertown,  Pa.,  in  each  of  which  some 
two  hundred  school  children  perished.  This  brings  us 
naturally  to  the  consideration  of  the  annual  fire  losses  of 
the  United  States,  which  we  all  know  are  prodigious.  I 
have  seen  it  stated  that  the  fire  losses  of  the  United  States 
in  1907  aggregated  some  two  hundred  and  fifteen  million 
dollars,  or  a  loss  of  some  two  dollars  and  a  half  for  every 
inhabitant  of  the  country.  When  we  compare  this  loss  with 
the  reported  fire  losses  suffered  in  European  countries, 
which  average  only  some  thirty-three  cents  per  capita  per 
annum,  we  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  gravity  of 
this  problem,  and  the  necessity  for  a  scientific  investigation. 

When  we  consider  that  the  amount  of  money  expended 
annually  by  the  states  and  cities  and  the  people  of  the  coun- 
try in  building  and  construction  work  exceeds  one  billion 
dollars,  and  that  over  half  of  this  sum  goes  for  structural 
materials,  the  importance  of  an  investigation  of  this  char- 
acter, carried  out  by  competent  and  impartial  inquirers,  is 
of  the  greatest  value.  The  investigation  of  this  character 
carried  on  by  the  government  has  been  largely  into  the  con- 
stituent materials  of  concrete  and  the  concrete  itself,  but 
the  work  is  now  being  extended  to  other  structural  mater- 
ials. Without  taking  time  here  to  go  into  details  as  to 
what  these  tests  have  shown  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  they 
indicate  the  possibility  of  reducing  the  amount  of  materials 
necessary,  thereby  producing  economies  of  ten  per  cent  and 
upwards  in  structures  put  up,  wholly  or  in  part,  with  rein- 
forced concrete. 

Two  of  our  mineral  resources  which  are  wasted  with 
the  greatest  prodigality  are  natural  gas  and  water.  The 
State  Geologist  of  West  Virginia,  Dr.  I.  C.  White,  says  on 
this  point: 

' 1  No  one  can  even  approximate  the  extent  of  this  waste. 
From  personal  knowledge  of  conditions  which  exist  in  every 


36  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

oil  and  gas  field,  I  am  sure  the  quantity  will  amount  to  not 
less  than  one  billion  cubic  feet  daily,  and  it  may  be  more. 
The  heating  value  of  a  billion  cubic  feet  of  natural  gas  is 
roughly  equivalent  to  that  of  one  million  bushels  of  coal. 
What  an  appalling  record  to  transmit  to  posterity. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  for  every  barrel  of  oil 
taken  from  the  earth  there  have  been  wasted  more  than  ten 
times  its  equivalent  in  either  heating  power  or  weight  of 
this  the  best  of  all  the  fuels,  and  also  that  much  more  than 
half  of  this  frightful  waste  could  have  been  avoided  by 
proper  care  in  oil  production  and  slight  additional  expendi- 
tures. ' ' 

The  supply  of  natural  gas  and  petroleum  is  not  renew- 
able, as  is  the  water  supply.  "Water  power  is  our  greatest 
natural  resource  and  the  one  heretofore  least  utilized.  As 
the  past  has  been  an  age  of  steam,  so  we  are  today  just  en- 
tering on  an  age  of  electricity,  and  that  means,  engineers 
say,  the  beginning  of  the  age  of  water  power.  One  of  the 
speakers  before  the  Conference  of  Governors,  held  at  the 
White  House  last  May,  said  that  the  United  States  now  has 
thirty  million  horse  power  available  in  its  streams,  which 
is  equivalent  to  the  total  horse  power  utilized  for  all  forms 
of  production  and  transportation  throughout  the  country. 
Thirty  per  cent  of  all  the  horse  power  now  used  is  utilized 
electrically,  and  this  electrical  use  of  power  is  the  growth 
of  twenty-five  years.  By  1920,  if  the  increase  of  electrical 
power  continues  steadily,  it  will  equal  or  exceed  the  power 
mechanically  applied. 

There  is  a  great  field  then,  for  the  federal  government 
in  investigating  and  experimenting  in  the  methods  of  all 
kinds  of  mining  and  allied  industries,  and  in  studying  thor- 
oughly the  science  of  metallurgy.  Just  as  a  comparatively 
small  investment  annually  in  the  way  of  appropriations  for 
the  Department  of  Agriculture  has  resulted  in  greatly  in- 
creasing the  value  of  our  farms,  so  a  small  investment  for 
the  purpose  of  investigation  and  examination  into  matters 
pertaining  to  the  great  mining  industry  of  the  country — an 
industry  which  in  output  ranks  next  to  that  of  agriculture — 


RELATION  OP  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING.          37 

will  result  in  an  actual  saving  of  millions  of  dollars  an- 
nually. 

The  relation  of  the  federal  government  to  mining  is 
therefore  a  very  important  one,  and  the  function  of  the  gov- 
ernment in  the  premises  is  plain.  An  industry  whose  out- 
put is  worth  over  two  billion  dollars  annually,  and  is 
steadily  and  rapidly  increasing,  is  worth  greater  attention 
than  it  now  receives  from  the  central  government.  This 
Congress  can  devote  itself  to  no  more  worthy  object  than 
to  help  create  a  public  sentiment  which  will  result  in  the 
federal  government  doing  as  much  in  behalf  of  mining  as  it 
now  does  for  agriculture,  and  we  may  be  assured  the  result- 
ing benefits  to  the  industry  and  the  country  at  large  will 
be  as  great. 


Transportation  of  Mineral  Products. 


BY  EDWARD  H.  HARRIMAN. 

Pittsburgh  is  the  approprite  place  for  the  discussion 
of  problems  connected  with  transportation  for  the  products 
of  the  mines.  It  is  the  greatest  industrial  center  for 
utilizing  these  products;  and  the  aggregate  tonnage  of  the 
incoming  and  outgoing  freight,  consisting  largely  of  such 
products,  is  larger  than  the  aggregate  tonnage  of  any  other 
three  of  the  world 's  greatest  cities. 

There  is  ample  reason,  therefore,  why  the  people  of 
Pittsburgh  should  be  proud  of  their  city,  and  there  is  still 
more  reason  why  the  men  in  charge  of  these  industries, 
through  a  more  efficient  use  of  raw  materials  and  an  in- 
creasing diversity  of  manufactured  products,  should  strive 
to  perpetuate  the  greatness  which  they  have  achieved. 

Mine  Products  as  a  Factor  in  Transportation. 

The  mineral  production  of  the  United  States  during  the 
past  year  had  an  aggregate  value  of  more  than  $2,000,000,- 
000,  and  the  crude  and  manufactured  mineral  products  of 
the  country  gave  an  aggregate  tonnage  of  more  than 
525,000,000  tons. 

The  total  tonnage  reported  by  the  Interstate  Commerce 
Commission  as  originating  on  American  railways  in  1906 
was  820,000,000  tons.  Of  this  the  crude  products  of  the 
mine  aggregated  more  than  435,000,000  tons,  or  53  per  cent 
of  the  total  tonnage.  Add  to  this  89,000,000  tons  of  manu- 
factured mineral  products,  such  as  cement,  lime,  steel,  etc., 
and  we  have  a  total  mineral  production  transported  by  the 
railways  of  approximately  525,000,000  tons,  or  64  per  cent 
of  the  entire  freight  business  of  the  country.  In  addition 
to  this  the  railroads  hauled  for  their  own  use  about  100,000,- 
000  tons  of  coal  during  the  year,  or  275,000  tons  each  day. 

Of  other  freights  during  the  year,  the  products  of  the 
forest,  agriculture,  merchandise,  animals,  and  manufactures 


TRANSPORTATION   OP    MINERAL   PRODUCTS.  39 

(excluding  the  89,000,000  tons  of  manufactured  mineral 
products)  make  36  per  cent  of  this  total  haulage. 

When  we  classify  the  mine  products  transported  on  the 
American  railways,  measuring  the  tonnage  by  that  origin- 
ating on  each  road,  we  find  that  the  largest  of  these  prod- 
ucts is  bituminous  coal,  of  which  206,000,000  tons  were 
transported  during  1906.  The  other  products  were  anthra- 
cite coal,  nearly  60,000,000  tons;  coke,  33,000,000;  ores, 
69,000,000;  stone,  sand,  and  other  like  articles,  approxi- 
mately 58,000,000;  miscellaneous  mineral  products,  more 
than  9,000,000. 

Adding  to  these  the  manufactured  mineral  products 
we  have,  petroleum  and  other  oils,  6,500,000  tons;  iron,  pig 
and  bloom,  21,000,000  tons;  other  castings  and  machinery, 
13,500,000  tons;  bar  and  sheet  metal,  15,000,000  tons;  ce- 
ment, brick,  and  lime,  more  than  27,000,000  tons.  Besides 
these,  as  stated  above,  the  railroads  hauled  for  their  own 
needs  more  than  100,000,000  tons  of  fuel  and  other  materials. 

The  generalized  classification  of  the  freight  traffic  of 
the  country  is  given  in  the  following  tables  taken  from  the 
reports  of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  for  1906: 

SUMMARY  SHOWING  FREIGHT  TRAFFIC  MOVEMENT,  BY  CLASS 

OF  COMMODITY,  ORIGINATING  ON  LINE  OF  REPORTING 

ROADS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  FOR   THE  YEAR 

ENDING   JUNE    30,    1906: 

United  States 


Class  of  Commodity 
*  Crude  products  of  mines    .  .  .  . 

Tonnage 
reported  as 
originating 
on  line 
Tons 

435,450,476 

Per  cent  of 
aggregate 

53.09  ] 

*Manufactured   mine   products. 
Manufactures      other      than 
from  mine  products 

89,523,200 
31,935,538 

64 
10.91J   1 
14 
3.90 

.00 
.81 

Products  of  forests 

92,187,351 

11.24 

Products  of  agriculture 

70,201,721 

8.56 

Merchandise 

33,319,615 

4.06 

Products  of  animals 

19,002,825 

2.32 

Miscellaneous 

48,543,902 

5.92 

Grand   total. 820,164,627 

*To  this  total  of  524,973,676  tons  may  be  added  100,000,000 
tons  of  coal  transported  by  the  railroads  for  their  own  use. 


40  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Increase  in  Mineral  Freights. 

The  products  of  the  mines  constitute  the  heaviest 
freight  and  are  charged  the  lowest  rate.  They  are  usually 
non-perishable,  and  their  quick  delivery  is,  as  a  rule,  not 
urgent,  except  in  a  shortage  of  coal  during  the  winter  sea- 
sons. 

As  a  rule  the  mine  products  are  more  constant  in  their 
production  than  any  other  large  items  of  freight.  As  will 
be  seen  from  the  figures  given,  coal  is  by  far  the  largest 
single  item;  and  while  the  production  of  coal  varies  from 
year  to  year,  oniy  nine  times  since  the  beginning  of  our 
records  of  coal  mining  in  the  United  States  (in  1814)  has 
the  production  of  any  one  year  been  less  than  that  of  the 
preceding  year,  the  greatest  falling  off  recorded  being  a 
drop  of  12,000,000  tons  in  1894  from  the  production  of  1893. 
On  the  whole,  the  increase  in  production  has  been  so  rapid 
and  so  marvelous,  that  on  one  of  the  important  coal  hand- 
ling railroads  (Baltimore  &  Ohio)  the  coal  transported  dur- 
ing each  of  the  past  several  decades  has  equalled  the  aggre- 
gate of  that  transported  by  it  during  all  of  the  preceding 
decades;  and  the  ratio  in  the  increase  of  production  of  coal 
for  the  entire  country  has  come  near  following  this  rule  for 
the  past  eighty  years. 

There  has  been  a  correspondingly  large  increase  in  the 
tonnage  production  of  many  other  important  mineral  mate- 
rials, though  in  some  of  these  the  increase  has  not  been  so 
striking  as  in  the  case  of  the  coal. 

The  Railroads  as  a  Factor  in  the  Country's  Development. 

,  No  man  who  has  not  participated  in  and  watched  the 
pioneer  work  of  the  railways  in  opening  up  the  new  country 
of  our  middle  and  western  states  has  any  conception  either 
of  the  enormous  task  undertaken  and  accomplished  by  the 
early  railroad  builder  or  of  the  work  accomplished  by  these 
pioneer  railyay  lines  in  the  rapid  westward  extension  and 
in  the  subsequent  development  of  this  great  country.  The 
railway  construction  across  the  plain  and  the  desert,  with  no 
immediate  freight  or  passengers  in  sight — this  opening  up 


TRANSPORTATION    OF    MINERAL   PRODUCTS.  41 

of  vast  sparsely  settled  regions  and  awaiting  the  coming  of 
passengers  and  freight — has  required  not  only  a  faith  on  the 
part  of  the  thousands  who  risked  the  investment  of  their 
money  in  the  future  of  undeveloped  and  in  many  cases  of 
undiscovered  resources,  but  has  also  .required  their  confi- 
dence in  the  future  fair  treatment  by  the  American  people 
of  these  railways  as  the  development  of  the  country  pro- 
ceeds. 

Fortunately,  there  were  people  willing  to  take  the  ex- 
treme hazard  of  investing  their  capital  in  railroads  which 
were  bulit  not  to  handle  traffic  already  existing  but  to  cre- 
ate traffic  by  making  it  possible  for  people  to  live  and  pros- 
per in  undeveloped  parts  of  the  country. 

Many  of  the  original  investors  lost  a  large  part  of  their 
capital.  The  risk  was  greater  than  they  thought.  But  while 
these  investors  lost,  the  country  profited.  The  early  trans- 
continental railroads  and  the  lines  that  were  built  after 
them  made  freight  rates  that  enabled  the  farmers  of  Kan- 
sas, Minnesota,  and  of  the  Dakotas  to  sell  their  wheat  at  a 
profit  in  all  the  markets  of  this  and  other  countries,  despite 
the  relatively  long  distances  that  it  had  to  be  hauled.  They 
made  rates  that  enabled  the  people  of  the  Mississippi  val- 
ley, as  well  as  the  people  in  the  Western  states,  to  use,  at 
reasonable  prices,  the  lumber  from  Oregon  and  Washington. 
They  made  rates  that  enabled  the  people  of  every  town  and 
hamlet  in  the  country  to  obtain  the  fruits  of  California  at 
a  cost  but  little  below  that  on  the  Pacific  coast.  They  have 
transported  coal  and  other  heavy  mineral  products  for  dis- 
tances so  great  and  at  rates  so  low  as  to  be  inconsistent  with 
economic  management  of  the  railroads  but  for  the  fact  that 
at  those  distant  points  these  crude  materials  had  developed 
new  industries,  which  have  in  turn  been  the  means  of  in- 
creasing traffic  of  a  higher  grade. 

The  supplies  of  these  raw  materials  and  cheap  railroad 
transportation  have  been,  and  still  are,  the  foundation  of 
the  wealth  of  this  great  country;  and  on  no  other  foundation 
could  this  prosperity  have  been  builded  or  be  maintained. 

In  many  parts  of  the  country  new  territory  is  still  being 


42  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

opened  and  its  development  made  possible  by  the  construc- 
tion of  railways.  But  even  while  this  pioneer  work  is  still 
in  progress  in  the  larger  part  of  the  country,  the  struggle 
on  the  part  of  the  railways  during  the  past  few  years  has 
been,  and  is  now,  to^eep  pace  with  the  rapid  growth  and 
the  rapidly  increasing  needs  for  larger,  faster,  and  in  every 
way  more  ample  transportation  facilities. 

The  Necessary  Growth  of  Transportation  Facilities. 

For  years  the  railways  of  the  country  have  been  en- 
deavoring to  meet  this  great  need  of  transportation  facili- 
ties. The  undertaking  has  been  one  of  enormous  propor- 
tions. The  following  figures  will  indicate  somewhat  the 
magnitude  of  this  problem  and  the  extent  to  which  the  de- 
mand is  being  met: 

The  total  mileage  of  railways  in  the  United  States  was 
6,535  miles  in  1840;  30,626  miles  in  1860;  93,267  miles  in 
1880;  159,271  miles  in  1890;  192,940  miles  in  1900;  and  about 
230,000  miles  in  1907. 

Kecent  railway  development,  as  indicated  by  the  at- 
tached tabular  statement,  shows  that  there  was  in  use  in 
1896,  182,000  miles  of  single  track;  20,000  freight  locomo- 
tives, and  1,222,000  freight  cars;  whereas  during  the  year 
1906  there  were  in  use  222,000  miles  of  single  track,  nearly 
30,000  freight  locomotives,  and  more  than  1,800,000  freight 
cars,  showing  an  increase  during  that  period  of  40,357  miles 
of  single  track  road,  9,497  freight  locomotives,  and  616,000 
freight  cars. 

Meanwhile  there  has  been  a  still  greater  increase  in 
the  weight  of  the  locomotives  and  in  the  capacity  of  the 
cars.  Thus  during  the  past  ten  years  on  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  the  freight  cars  have  increased  in  capacity  69  per 
cent;  and  the  locomotives  have  increased  in  weight  nearly 
40  per  cent.  On  the  Southern  Pacific  System  during  the 
past  nine  years  there  has  been  an  increase  of  about  100  per 
cent  in  the  capacity  of  the  cars,  and  56  per  cent  in  the  weight 
of  the  locomotives. 


TRANSPORTATION    OF    MINERAL   PRODUCTS.  43 

SUMMARY    SHOWING    THE     INCREASE     IN     SINGLE     TRACK 

MILEAGE;    FREIGHT  LOCOMOTIVES   AND    FREIGHT 

CARS  IN  TEN  YEARS. 

Total  mileage  Total  freight  Total  freight 

Years        operated  (single  track)      locomotives  cars 

1896 181,982.64  20,351  1,221,887 

1897 183,284.25  20,398  1,221,730 

1898 184,648.26  20,627  1,248,826 

1899 187,534.68  20,728  1,295,510 

1900 192,556.03  21,596  1,365,531 

1901 195,561.92  22,839  1,464,328 

1902 200,154.56  23,594  1,546,101 

1903 205,313.54  25,444  1,653,782 

1904 212,243.20  27,029  1,692,194 

1905 216,973.61  27,869  1,731,409 

1906 222,340.30  29,848  1,837,914 

Increase  in  mileage  from  1896  to  1907:      40,357.66  miles. 
Increase  in  number  of  locomotives:      9,497. 
Increase  in  number  of  freight  cars:      616,027. 

Even  these  striking  figures  do  not  tell  more  than  half 
the  story.  Enormous  expenditures  have  been  made  in 
straightening  these  tracks,  improving  the  grades,  putting 
in  better  bridges  and  culverts,  improving  the  roadbed,  and 
in  increasing  the  weight  of  the  rail,  the  size  of  the  freight 
car,  and  the  hauling  capacity  of  the  locomotives. 

The  competition  between  the  weight  of  the  rail  and  the 
capacity  of  the  locomotive  has  been  as  acute  as  that  between 
the  armor  plate  and  the  projectile  in  modern  battleships. 

The  following  statement  of  railway  equipment  at  the 
present  time  may  convey  but  little  idea  to  the  general  pub- 
lic, but  it  means  a  huge  outlay  of  labor  and  money  on  the 
part  of  the  railway  companies  of  the  country. 

On  June  30,  1906,  there  were  in  the  country  222,340 
miles  of  single  track  railways.  Including  double  tracking, 
siding,  etc.,  there  were  in  operation  a  total  of  317,000 
miles;  51,672  locomotives;  1,837,914  freight  cars,  with  an 
aggregate  capacity  of  more  than  59,000,000  tons. 

Of  these  freight  cars,  686,717  were  used  for  the  trans- 
portation of  coal ;  and  they  had  a  capacity  of  nearly  twenty- 
five  million  tons. 

The  railroads  employed  at  this  time  1,521,355  persons. 

The  average  distance  that  each  ton  of  freight  was  car- 
ried during  1906  was  about  241  miles. 


44  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  uONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

As  illustrating  further  the  extent  of  the  equipment  nec- 
essary for  the  transportation  of  the  mineral  production  of 
the  United  States,  I  may  add  an  estimate  from  Mr.  Parker 
of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  that  with  an  av- 
erage of  thirty  cars  of  coal  to  the  train,  and  fifty  tons  to 
the  car,  332,330  trains  would  be  required  to  transport  the 
product  of  the  coal  mines  of  the  United  States  during  1907 ; 
and  the  combined  length  of  these  trains  would  extend  two 
and  two-thirds  times  around  the  earth  at  the  equator. 

So  much  for  the  past  and  present  demand  for  trans- 
portation facilities.  A  little  further  on  I  shall  call  atten- 
tion to  the  needs  of  the  immediate  future. 

Freight  Rates  and  Mineral  Production. 

Both  the  producers  and  consumers  of  mineral  products 
are  naturally  interested  in  any  and  every  factor  which  en- 
ters into  the  question  of  the  cost  of  these  materials.  It  is 
natural  for  the  consumer  to  think  that  they  cost  too  much; 
and  he  may  divide  the  responsibility  of  the  supposed  ex- 
cessive cost  between  the  miner  and  the  railroad.  The  pro- 
ducer, on  the  other  hand,  is  apt  to  lay  the  supposed  exces- 
sive cost  at  the  door  of  the  railroad.  And  there  is  a  widely 
circulated  expression  that  the  railways  charge  for  transpor- 
tation all  that  the  traffic  will  bear.  It  is  equally  true  that 
they  do  not  charge  what  the  traffic  will  not  bear,  as  the 
figures  heretofore  quoted  showing  the  marvelous  growth  of 
traffic  proves. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  even  in  the  long  settled 
portions  of  this  country  the  railroads  are  still  doing  devel- 
opment work,  and  at  great  cost;  building  over  again,  trying 
to  keep  up  with  the  demands  for  better  transportation  facil- 
ities. 

I  am  not  here  to  make  or  deny  any  specific  charges  as 
to  freight  rates.  I  realize  the  fact,  as  do  you,  that  inequal- 
ities may  sometimes  get  into  freight  rates  as  well  as  into 
other  forms  of  business;  but  these  are  being  eliminated  as 
fast  as  the  situation  in  each  such  case  is  realized. 

You  gentlemen  connected  with  the  mining  industries  of 


TRANSPORTATION   OP    MINERAL   PRODUCTS.  45 

this  country  know  from  your  standpoint,  as  well  as  I  do 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  railway  man,  what  prospecting 
and  pioneer  work  mean. 

The  miner  and  the  railroad  have  been  the  two  greatest 
advance  agencies  in  opening  up  and  developing  the  coun- 
try. You  gentlemen  understand,  as  well  as  does  the  rail- 
way expert,  the  cost  in  money  and  labor  of  this  advance 
work,  and  you  also  know  something  of  the  uncertainty  of 
the  results,  because,  in  view  of  the  large  share  which  the 
products  of  the  mine  make  in  the  transportation  of  the 
railroad,  it  is  apparent  that  in  a  large  measure  the  success 
or  failure  of  the  miner  makes  the  success  or  failure  of  the 
railroad. 

You  understand  further  how  the  railroads,  instead  of 
making  the  freight  charges  all  that  the  traffic  will  bear, 
have  placed  their  rates  on  these  mineral  products  at  the 
lowest  figure  that  the  railroad  could  bear,  in  order  to  ren- 
der possible  the  development  of  the  mining  industry.  With- 
out the  railroads  and  without  the  fair  co-operation  of  the 
railroads,  great  industrial  development  in  this  country 
would  have  been  impossible,  and  the  enormous  develop- 
ments of  the  last  half  century  in  every  part  of  this  country 
is  the  best  possible  evidence  that  on  the  whole  the  railroads 
have  dealt  farily  with  those  directly  connected  with  and 
directly  responsible  for  these  developments. 

Opening  of  markets  by  railways  makes  possible  indus- 
trial developments  and  the  use  by  railroads  of  fuel  in  the 
first  instance  gives  impetus  to  such  development. 

The  managers  and  the  stockholders  of  railways  in  this 
country  realize  that  they  must  make  rates  that  will  enable 
the  industries  located  along  one  railway  line  to  compete 
with  those  located  along  other  railway  lines.  They  also 
realize  that  even  the  great  trans-continental  systems  of 
rates  must  be  such  as  will  enable  the  industries  of  this 
country  to  compete  with  those  in  other  countries.  They 
also  realize — and  you  will  admit  the  justice  of  the  claim- 
that  the  freight  charges  must  be  such  as  to  permit  the  rail- 
road to  do  its  work  properly  and  yield  fair  returns  to  the 


46  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

men  and  women  of  this  country  whose  savings  have  helped 
to  build  and  improve  the  railroads. 

Let  me  call  your  attention  also  to  the  fact  that  as  the 
country  is  developing,  and  as  the  railways  are  developing, 
freight  rates  have  been  diminishing.  Thus  the  freight 
rates  per  ton  per  mile  on  the  railways  of  the  United  States 
were  1.89  cents  in  1870;  1.2  cents  in  1880;  .94  cents  in  1890; 
.84  cents  in  1895;  .73  cents  in  1900;  .76  cents  in  1905;  and  .75 
cents  in  1907. 

The  transportation  conditions  in  European  countries 
are  quite  different  from  those  in  the  United  States.  Never- 
theless, reference  is  often  made  to  the  low  freight  charges 
in  other  countries.  It  may,  therefore,  in  the  present  con- 
nection, be  worth  while  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
during  the  year  1906,  in  the  larger  European  countries  the 
freight  receipts  per  ton  mile  were  nearly  twice  those  in  the 
United  States  during  the  same  year;  and  during  that  year 
the  lower  rates  per  ton  mile  at  which  the  American  railways 
carried  freight,  contrasted  with  the  rates  per  ton  mile  re- 
ceived by  the  European  railways,  was  equivalent  to  a  sav- 
ing by  the  people  of  this  country  of  over  $1,000,000,000. 

Fair  Treatment  of  Railroads  Essential  to  Their  Own  Development 
and  to  that  of  the   Country. 

The  people  of  this  country  desire  to  be  fair,  and  they 
desire  to  see  all  interests  treated  fairly.  But  owing  to  a 
lack  of  information  concerning  many  of  the  fundamental 
factors  in  transportation,  there  is  danger  that  this  needed 
development  of  transportation  facilities  may  be  retarded 
or  prevented  through  the  unjust  treatment  of  the  investors 
in  railroads. 

The  impression  exists  that  the  railroads  are  owned  by 
a  few  rich  men,  and  it  is  contended  that  because  these  men 
are  rich  they  can  stand  a  restriction  to  a  small  return  on 
their  investments.  But  the  fact  is  that  the  railroads  are 
not  owned  by  a  few  rich  men,  and  even  if  they  were,  it  is  as 
contrary  to  the  spirit  of  American  institutions  and  the 
American  spirit  of  justice  for  the  law  to  discriminate 


TRANSPORTATION.  OF    MINERAL    PRODUCTS.  47 

against  a  man  because  he  is  rich  as  it  is  for  the  law  to  dis- 
criminate against  a  man  because  he  is  poor. 

The  railroads  of  the  United  States  had,  on  June  30, 
1907,  328,000  miles  of  track  and  about  350,000  stockholders, 
or  more  than  one  stockholder  for  every  mile  of  railroad 
operated,  and  these  stockholders  are  scattered  'throughout 
the  entire  country. 

The  opinion  that  those  who  invest  their  means  in  a 
railroad  should  not  be  permitted  to  earn  more  than  a  "fair 
rate  of  interest ' '  upon  the  actual  cash  value  of  its  property, 
and  that  four  per  cent  is  a  "  fair  rate  of  interest, ' '  and  hence 
the  maximum  permissible  interest  on  such  investments,  is 
inconsistent  with  the  higher  rates  of  interest  from  other 
kinds  of  investment. 

Thus,  as  shown  by  the  statistics  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture  and  other  government  agen- 
cies, in  the  year  1900  the  farmers  of  this  country  received 
a  return  of  nine  per  cent  on  the  value  of  their  farms  in  that 
year;  that  the  manufacturers  enjoyed  in  the  same  year  a 
net  return  of  19.4  per  cent.,  while  the  average  net  return 
upon  railroad  investments  was  scarcely  four  per  cent.  The 
same  source  of  information  showed  that  in  the  year  1905 
(another  prosperous  year)  the  average  net  returns  of  the 
farmers  was  9.8  per  cent  on  the  value  of  their  farms,  and 
that  of  the  manufacturers  was  15  per  cent;  while  the  aver- 
age return  upon  the  railroad  capital  was  but  4.4  per  cent. 
Investments  in  the  railroads  west  of  the  Mississippi  have 
been  usually  even  less  satisfactory.  The  dividends  on  one 
of-  the  important  western  transcontinental  lines  from  1882 
to  1906  averaged  2.9  per  cent;  that  of  another,  from  1883  to 
1906,  averaged  2.3  per  cent;  that  of  another,  from  1885  to 
1906,  averaged  1  per  cent;  that  of  still  another,  from  1884 
to  1906,  averaged  1.5  per  cent. 

As  a  single  additional  basis  of  comparison  I  may  add 
that  during  the  last  forty  years  the  dividends  of  national 
banks  in  the  United  States  have  averaged  8%  per  cent.  In 
no  year  has  this  average  gone  below  6  per  cent.  During 
the  last  few  years  these  national  bank  dividends  have  aver- 
aged 10  per  cent. 


48  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

After  the  investors  in  railroads  have  been  disappointed 
for  so  many  years  by  not  receiving  as  large  returns  as  they 
had  hoped  for — returns  that  they  felt  they  were  entitled 
to  when  they  made  their  investment — it  is  now  proposed  to 
limit  by  law  the  maximum  dividends  possible  in  railway  in- 
vestments, at  what  might  be  considered  a  mininmum  return 
in  other  industries  (about  four  per  cent),  on  the  grounds 
that  the  railroads,  being  quasi-public  corporations,  the  pub- 
lic has  the  legal  right  to  reduce  these  rates  as  low  as  it 
pleases,  if  it  does  not  make  them  confiscatory.  But  mind 
you,  nothing  in  this  proposal  suggests  that  some  outside 
party  should  bear  the  losses  and  guarantee  four  per  cent 
minimum  return  on  railway  investments. 

The  question  which  the  public  should  consider  in  this 
connection  is  not  its  right  to  fix  these  rates  so  low  that  they 
will  barely  avoid  confiscation,  but  it  is  the  broader  questions 
of  equity  and  the  public  welfare.  If  investors  find  that 
they  can  get  continuously  higher  rates  of  interest  on  invest- 
ments in  connection  with  other  industries,  they  will  not  in- 
vest in  railway  securities,  and  hence  funds  needed  for  pro- 
viding better  transportation  facilities  will  not  be  forthcom- 
ing, and  the  development  of  the  country  itself  will  be 
checked. 

Transportation  Needs  in  the  Immediate  Future. 

In  this  connection  let  us  not  forget  that  we  are  just 
beginning  to  realize  the  possibilities  in  this  country's 
growth,  and  the  transportation  facilities  should  be  such  as 
to  aid  rather  than  retard  this  development.  I  have  already 
referred  to  the  recent  rapid  increase  in  the  demand  for 
transportation  facilities.  I  wish  to  refer  to  the  future  just 
sufficiently  to  impress  upon  you  the  magnitude  of  our  rail- 
way problems  of  the  next  twenty  years. 

There  are  too  many  factors  of  uncertainty  to  permit 
our  dealing  in  specific  prophecies,  but  the  best  statisticians 
of  the  country  give  the  United  States  twenty  years  hence 
(1927)  a  population  of  114,000,000  people,  and  a  yearly  coal 
production  at  the  time  to  be  handled  by  the  railways  of 
about  1,200,000,000  tons. 


TRANSPORTATION   OF    MINERAL   PRODUCTS.  49 

You  who  produce  this  coal  realize  how  essential  it  is  to 
the  mining  industry  that  adequate  transportation  equip- 
ment be  at  your  disposal,  but  I  do  not  believe  the  general 
public  realizes  the  fact  that  the  railroads  must  not  only 
furnish  the  equipment  necessary  for  hauling  this  coal,  but 
also  that,  owing  to  the  lack  of  local  storage  facilities,  they 
must  have  these  cars  placed  at  the  mine  with  such  regular- 
ity as  to  render  continuous  mining  possible.  The  figures 
are  not  available  for  predicting  with  similar  accuracy  the 
increase  in  production  of  other  products  which  enter  into 
the  traffic  of  the  country,  but  the  intimate  relation  of  coal 
production  to  that  of  the  production  of  iron  and  steel  and 
other  manufacteured  products  justify  the  use  of  the  above 
figures  as  indicating  the  enormous  freight  traffic  which 
the  railroads  of  this  country  must  be  prepared  to  take  care 
of  during  the  immediate  future. 

Water  Transportation  for  Mineral  Products. 

The  people  of  Pittsburgh  are  naturally  and  especially 
interested  in  the  improvement  of  inland  water  transporta- 
tion facilities  as  a  means  of  enabling  you  to  receive  your 
heavy  raw  mineral  products  and  to  distribute  over  the  coun- 
try your  heavy  manufactured  mineral  products  at  the  least 
possible  cost  of  transportation.  This  is  a  commendable 
purpose.  If  it  can  be  accomplished  at  a  reasonable  cost,  I 
extend  my  best  wishes  for  its  accomplishment.  Everybody 
knows  that  these  heavy,  crude  mineral  materials  can,  under 
favorable  conditions,  be  carried  more  cheaply  by  water 
than  they  can  by  rail.  The  fact  that  these  materials  are 
non-perishable  and  need  not  be  subject  to  the  demands  for 
quick  delivery,  renders  them,  of  all  freight,  best  adapted  to 
the  necessarily  slow  water  transportation.  Perhaps  no- 
where is  this  fact  demonstrated  more  clearly  than  in  your 
present  irregular  transportation  of  coal  from  Pittsburg 
down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Eivers,  by  which  you  can 
transport  coal  from  Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans  at  a  cost  of 
less  than  one  dollar  per  ton,  even  under  the  existing  un- 
favorable conditions.  I  can  but  wish  that  such  water  trans- 


50  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

portation  facilities  existed  throughout  the  great  West,  as  I 
would  be  glad  to  have  this  Pittsburgh  coal  delivered  in  boats 
at  different  points  along  the  Southern,  Central  and  Union 
Pacific  Bailway  Systems,  so  that  our  locomotives  could  be 
supplied  with  coal  without  our  having  to  carry  it  two  thou- 
sand miles  in  our  own  freight  cars. 

We  have  another  good  illustration  of  cheap  inland 
water  transportation  on  the  Great  Lakes,  where  the  record 
shows  that  during  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30, 1907,  there 
have  passed  through  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Canal  more  than 
54,000,000  tons  of  freight,  of  which  more  than  47,000,000 
tons  were  of  heavy,  crude  mineral  materials. 

Eailroad  men,  like  other  men,  are  not  in  the  habit  of 
inviting  competition;  but  we  all  recognize  the  increasing 
need  for  greater  transportation  facilities  of  all  kinds,  and 
the  railway  men  of  today  should  welcome  such  improve- 
ments of  the  inland  waterways  of  this  country  as  can  be 
made  at  a  reasonable  cost  and  maintained  by  the  govern- 
ment on  a  business  like  basis. 

Similarly,  every  one  should  welcome  and  encourage  the 
building  of  good  wagon  roads.  Just  as  great  saving  will 
in  the  future  be  made  in  the  economic  cost  of  railroad  trans- 
portation through  double  tracking,  reducing  grades  and  im- 
proving road  beds;  so  also  a  similar  and  in  some  cases  a 
greater  local  saving  in  the  cost  of  transportation  can  be 
brought  about  through  improvements  in  the  public  high- 
ways which  connect  the  farm  with  the  railroads  and  the 
smaller  markets. 

In  Conclusion. 

Let  me  impress  on  you  the  fact  that  the  interests  of 
producers,  of  consumers,  and  of  the  transportation  agencies 
that  bring  them  together  in  the  markets  of  this  country  and 
of  the  world  are  mutual  and  interdependent.  We  cannot 
afford  to  so  adjust  our  rates  as  to  place  undue  burdens  on 
your  business,  for  that  would  arrest  the  development  of  our 
traffic.  You  cannot  afford  to  cause  law  makers  and  rail- 
road commissions  to  continue  unduly  to  increase  our  operat- 


TRANSPORTATION    OF    MINERAL    PRODUCTS.  51 

ing  expenses  and  reduce  our  earnings  and  thereby  hinder 
the  expansion  of  our  facilities;  for  that  will  arrest  the 
growth  of  your  business  and  the  increase  in  the  value  of 
your  properties.  As  our  interests  are  mutual  and  inter- 
dependent, we  will  all  gain  by  recognizing  frankly  one  an- 
other's legal  and  moral  rights  and  co-operating  in  a  broad 
and  intelligent  spirit  for  the  promotion  of  the  development 
and  progress  of  this  marvelously  promising  country. 

No  other  country  has  so  rich  a  heritage  of  mineral  and 
agricultural  wealth  as  has  the  United  States.  No  other 
country  is  so  wasteful  in  the  use  of  those  resources.  No 
country  has  ever  had  so  phenomenal  a  growth.  This  growth 
is  yet  in  its  infancy.  In  order  that  this  development  may 
be  wise  and  permanent,  we  must  quit  our  habit  of  waste 
and  develop  the  habit  of  efficient  use  of  our  resources.  We 
must  encourage  and  enlarge  our  systems  of  transportation, 
both  by  rail  and  water,  in  such  manner  as  will  build  up  ap- 
propriate industries  in  every  part  of  the  country,  and  as 
will  best  develop  the  country  as  a  whole. 

REFERENCES. 

From  Mineral  Resources,  United  States  Geological  Survey,  1907. 

Interstate  Commerce  Commission  Annual  Report,  1906. 

Coal  Production,  United  States,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,   1906. 

Interstate  Commerce  Commission  Annual  Report,  1906. 

Records  U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 

Statistician,  B.  &  O.  R.  R. 

Slason  Thompson,  Bureau  of  Railway  News,  Chicago. 

Union  Pacific  Ry. 

Railway  Statistics  for  U.  S.  for  years  ending  June  30,  1907,  pre- 
pared for  General  Managers'  Assn.  of  Chicago  by  Slason  Thompson, 
Bureau  of  Railway  News. 

Manuscript  notes,  Union  Pacific  Ry. 

Annual  Report  Comptroller  of  the  Treasury,  1907. 

United  States  Geological  Survey. 

Annual  Report,  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  War  Dept.,  1906. 


The  Importance  of  Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Advance- 
ment of  the  Mining  Industry. 


BY  HON.  CARROLL  D.  WRIGHT,  CLARK  COLLEGE,  WORCESTER,  MASS. 

The  most  important  and  emphatic  illustration  of  the 
importance  of  arbitration  in  any  industry,  so  far  as  this 
country  is  concerned,  was  when  the  operators  and  miners  in 
the  anthracite  region  of  Pennsylvania  accepted  the  award 
of  arbitration  of  the  Commission  appointed  by  the  President 
at  the  request  of  the  operators  to  adjust  the  questions  ex- 
isting between  them  and  the  miners. 

It  is  of  no  consequence  now  how  this  commission  arose 
or  was  created.  It  was  appointed  by  the  President,  as 
stated,  on  the  request  of  the  operators  themselves,  not  on 
the  initiative  interference  by  the  President. 

The  strike  of  1902  was  a  very  severe  one  and  with  vast 
ramifications,  its  influence  affecting  not  only  domestic  life, 
but  the  industries  of  the  country.  It  had  continued  from 
May  of  that  year  until  October,  when  the  appointment  of  the 
commission  was  requested,  and  the  two  parties  to  the  great 
strife  consented  to  abide  by  the  decision  of  the  commission. 

That  commission,  after  five  months  of  hearings  and  de- 
liberation, made  an  award  fixing  the  conditions  which  were 
to  be  the  rule  for  three  years.  The  award  related  to  the 
demand  for  higher  wages  for  contract  miners,  the  demand 
for  a  reduction  in  the  hours  of  labor,  the  demand  for  pay- 
ment by  weight,  the  demand  for  an  agreement  with  the 
United  Mine  Workers  of  America,  the  subject  of  check 
weighmen  and  check  docking  bosses,  the  distribution  of 
mine  cars,  the  sliding  scale,  discrimination,  lawlessness, 
boycotting  and  blacklisting,  direct  payment,  and  lastly  the 
life  and  conditions  of  the  awards. 

The  last  award  provided  that  the  awards  made  should 
continue  in  force  until  March  31,  1906,  that  is,  three  years. 
In  the  fourth  award  the  commission  provided  that  any  dif- 
ficulty or  disagreement  arising  under  the  award,  either  as 


ARBITRATION    IN    THE    MINING    INDUSTRY.  53 

its  interpretation  or  application,  or  in  any  way  growing 
out  of  the  relations  of  the  employers  and  employees  which 
cannot  be  settled  or  adjusted  by  consultation  between  the 
superintendent  or  manager  of  the  mine  or  mines,  or  is  of  a 
scope  too  large  to  be  so  settled  or  adjusted,  shall  be  referred 
to  a  joint  committee,  to  be  called  a  board  of  conciliation,  to 
consist  of  six  persons,  three  of  whom  should  belong  to  the 
miners'  organizations,  representing  a  majority  of  the  mine 
workers,  and  three  other  persons  to  be  appointed  by  the  op- 
erators, etc. 

This  board  of  conciliation  was  to  take  up  and  consider 
any  question  referred  to  it,  and  if  the  board  was  unable  to 
decide,  an  umpire  should  be  appointed  at  the  request  of  the 
board  by  one  of  the  Circuit  Judges  of  the  Third  Judicial 
Circuit  of  the  United  States,  whose  decision  should  be  final 
and  binding  in  the  premises. 

Here  lies  the  fundamental  basis  of  trade  agreements 
and  arbitration  preceded  by  conciliatory  methods.  The 
award  was  accepted  by  both  parties  and  very  faithfully  ob- 
served during  the  whole  three  years.  Near  its  expiration 
the  miners  thought  they  were  entitled  to  some  modifications 
and  organized  a  strike  to  secure  them.  The  operators 
would  not  yield  and  the  result  was  that  the  complete  award 
was  extended  for  three  years  more,  that  is,  to  March  31,1909. 

During  the  first  three  years  various  questions  arose 
relative  to  the  interpretation  of  the  award,  extra  demands 
of  miners,  etc.  These  were  referred  to  the  conciliation 
board,  the  results  of  whose  decesion  was  accepted  by  the 
miners  and  operators.  Several  questions,  perhaps  fifteen 
or  twenty,  were  referred  to  the  umpire,  and  in  every  instance 
the  decisions  of  the  umpire  were  accepted  by  both  parties 
and  faithfully  adhered  to  by  them.  During  the  second 
three  years  of  the  award,  which  became  a  voluntary  agree- 
ment by  the  action  in  March,  1906,  there  has  been  little  for 
the  conciliation  board  to  do,  and  so  far  as  information  goes 
the  affairs  of  the  anthacite  regions  have  been  running  along 
smoothly  and  with  fair  satisfaction  to  all  parties. 

The  result  of  the  award  of  the  commission  appointed 
by  the  President  put  several  millions  of  dollars  into  the 


54  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

hands  of  the  miners  which  they  would  not  have  received 
otherwise.  The  sliding  scale  has  worked  satisfactorily,  so 
far  as  the  writer  knows,  and  the  whole  result  has  been  bene- 
ficial in  the  extreme.  The  public  has  had  full  confidence 
that  mining  operations  would  go  forward  and  the  whole 
benefit  of  arbitration  has  been  realized. 

The  previous  history  of  the  mining  industry,  so  far  as 
strikes  are  concerned,  taken  in  comparison  with  the  history 
in  the  anthracite  regions  since  1903,  shows  clearly,  and,  it 
seems  to  me,  most  emphatically,  that  the  spirit  of  arbitra- 
tion has  been  carried  out  during  the  past  five  years  or 
more,  and  leaves  no  doubt  of  the  desirability,  even  the  neces- 
sity, of  some  such  machinery  as  that  which  exists  in  the 
anthracite  regions. 

Peace  is  desirable,  but  not  peace  with  dishonor,  even  in 
industrial  affairs,  and  peace  has  prevailed  with  honor  to 
both  parties.  A  very  careful  canvass  of  the  situation  shows 
clearly  that  both  parties  have  endeavored  to  abide  by  the 
award  of  the  commission. 

The  mining  industry  is  peculiar.  There  are  very  many 
irritating  complications,  resulting  from  necessary  conditions 
that  do  not  pertain  to  other  industries.  If  therefore  a  sys- 
tem of  arbitration  and  conciliation  can  be  carried  out,  it  is 
for  the  interests  of  the  whole  country,  and  especially  be- 
comes a  most  important  factor  in  the  advancement  of  the 
mining  industry  itself. 

The  award  accepted  by  both  parties  constituted  a  trade 
agreement.  The  trade  agreement  concerns  the  ethical  and 
economic  characteristics  of  men.  It  has  been  in  practice 
nearly  forty  years  in  England,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  years 
in  this  country,  and  the  instances  of  a  breach  of  faith  or  a 
violation  of  the  terms  of  the  agreement  are  so  rare  that  they 
need  not  be  specified. 

The  action  of  the  bituminous  coal  miners  during  the 
strike  of  the  anthracite  miners  is  a  splendid  illustration  of 
this.  The  bituminous  operators  were  making  money  more 
rapidly  than  ever,  on  account  of  the  anthracite  strike,  but 
they  were  not  paying  any  higher  wages.  The  men  were 
working  under  their  trade  agreement.  The  proposition  was 


ARBITRATION    IN    THE     MINING    INDUSTRY.  55 

made  that  they  break  this  agreement  and  insist  upon  an  in- 
crease in  wages,  a  convention  being  called  for  this  purpose, 
but  it  was  voted  nearly  unanimously  that,  the  trade  agree- 
ment should  be  held  sacred.  This  did  much  to  steady  con- 
ditions in  the  mining  industry  of  the  country,  but  it  did 
more.  It  emphasized  the  beneficence  not  only  of  trade 
agreements,  but  of  industrial  arbitration  itself. 

What  will  happen  when  the  term  of  the  award  expires 
in  March,  1909,  no  one  can  predict,  but  the  existence  through 
these  years  without  a  break  in  any  of  the  terms  of  the  award 
is  something  very  remarkable  indeed,  and  again  emphasizes 
the  beneficence  of  that  method  of  adjusting  difficulties. 

But  there  is  another  side  which  appeals  to  many,  and 
that  is  the  advisability  of  some  method  which  can  be  adopted 
for  the  settlement  of  trade  disputes  before  the  necessity  of 
arbitration  is  reached.  Arbitration  is  resorted  to  after  war 
is  declared,  after  the  parties  have  exhausted  their  patience 
and  their  common  sense.  The  lines  of  argument  are  clearly 
marked,  the  terms  fairly  stated,  but  the  preliminary  steps  to 
arbitration  ought  to  be  avoided  if  possible.  There  should  be 
a  conciliation  board,  or  a  board  of  arbitration  constituted 
through  the  provision  of  the  trade  agreement  and  looking 
to  the  avoidance  of  a  resort  to  arbitration  and  the  settle- 
ment of  all  the  difficulties  which  arise,  or  the  chief  ones, 
by  the  very  parties  who  are  most  interested,  that  is,  the 
employers  and  the  employees.  Their  reciprocal .  relations 
are  thus  brought  out  in  a  way  that  cannot  be  done  other- 
wise. So  the  trade  agreement  holds  out  the  greatest  hope 
for  industrial  peace  in  the  future;  and  the  advancement  of 
the  mining  industry  that  is  so  largely  at  the  basis  of  our 
material  prosperity,  demands  the  recognition  of  these  high 
principles  of  morals  and  economics  combined. 

Another  method  is  now  projected  in  Canadian  law, 
providing  for  compulsory  investigation.  The  Canadian 
law  is  not  a  new  idea.  Hon.  Charles  Francis  Adams,  for 
years  president  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  and  inter- 
ested in  all  such  matters,  many  years  ago  projected  the 
indea  of  compulsory  investigation.  It  grew  out  of  his  ex- 
perience on  the  board  of  railroad  commissioners  of  the 


56  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Commonwealth  of  Massachusetss,  wherein  he  held  that 
when  the  facts  were  known  and  given  to  the  public,  public 
opinion  would  force  the  desired  result.  It  was  a  recogni- 
tion of  the  public  opinion  in  a  great  dispute,  as  well  as 
the  interest  of  the  disputants  themselves.  In  the  report 
on  the  Chicago  strike  by  the  commission  appointed  by 
President  Cleveland,  this  method  of  dealing  with  industrial 
disputes  was  recommended,  and  again  the  Anthracite  Strike 
Commission  not  only  recommended  something  of  the  kind, 
but  published  in  its  report  in  full  a  plan  by  Mr.  Adams, 
which  he  called  a  proposed  bill  providing  for  compulsory 
investigation  and  publicity,  but  so  far  no  state  in  this  coun- 
try has  adopted  the  principle  or  the  method  outlined.  The 
Canadian  government  has,  and  the  work  is  being  carried 
on  there,  so  far  as  the  writer  is  informed,  with  satisfaction 
on  the  whole. 

The  point  is  that,  when  a  great  strike  occurs  or  is 
threatened,  there  should  be  some  body  with  official  author- 
ity to  investigate  all  the  facts  relating, to  it  in  a  broad,  im- 
partial and  non-partisan  manner,  and  give  the  facts  to  the 
public.  Public  opinion  will  then,  as  in  Canada,  settle  the 
matter  in  most  cases,  and  thus  avoid  the  long-continued 
strike  or  the  necessity  for  a  court  of  arbitration.  When 
the  actual  facts  of  a  great  strike  are  known  it  is  not  diffi- 
cult for  public  opinion  to  place  the  responsibility  for  the 
strike  where  it  belongs.  This  is  the  ethical  element  of  any 
such  method. 

Every  step  which  the  American  Mining  Congress  can 
take  that  will  emphasize  the  necessity  of  considering  these 
questions  of  arbitration  and  conciliation  and  of  investiga- 
tion will  be  in  the  right  direction,  and  will  of  themselves 
constitute  an  important  factor  in  the  advancement  of  the 
mining  industry. 


The  Duties  of  the  Federal  and  State  Governments  in 
Relation  to  the  Mining  Industry. 


BY   GEO.    HARRISON,    CHIEF    INSPECTOR    OP   MINES    OF    OHIO, 
COLUMBUS,   OHIO. 

In  a  city  renowned  as  the  center  of  one  of  the  greatest 
mining  industries  in  the  world,  and  addressing  an  audience 
composed  of  Governors  of  various  states,  or  their  direct 
representatives,  United  States  Senators,  Congressmen,  and 
many  other  eminent  statesmen,  officers  and  members  of 
the  American  Mining  Congress  and  United  States  Geologi- 
cal Survey,  scientific,  technical  and  practical  mining  ex- 
perts, mining  engineers,  mine  inspectors,  and  many  others 
assembled  to  promote  mining  interests  and  no  doubt  en- 
deavor to  devise  ways  and  means  whereby  the  enormous 
list  of  fatalities  can  be  reduced  and  greater  protection  given 
to  life  and  limb  of  those  employed  in  the  mines  in  this  great 
mining  country,  we  are  forcibly  reminded  that  the  dreaded 
seanson  of  the  year  is  at  hand,  when  lifting  our  morning 
newspaper,  we  hold  our  breath,  fearful  that  our  vision  may 
fall  on  some  news  item  announcing  in  large  head  lines: 
"  Great  Mine  Explosion  and  Appalling  Loss  of  Life. ' ' 

One  year  ago,  when  a  number  of  mine  calamities  fol- 
lowed in  the  wake  of  each  other  with  such  rapid  succession 
and  great  loss  of  life,  the  human  sympathy  of  the  people 
of  all  classes  was  aroused  beyond  description  for  the  be- 
reaved and  sorrowing  wives,  children  and  relatives,  whose 
means  of  maintenance  had  been  so  suddenly  cut  off  by  the 
sad  fate  of  their  bread-winners. 

A  portion  of  the  general  public,  often  more  ready  and 
capable  of  tearing  down  than  of  building  up,  without  con- 
sidering the  unprecedented  prosperity,  the  rapid  develop- 
ment of  mining  properties,  the  great  demand  for,  and  in- 
creased production  of  coal,  the  introduction  of  mining  ma- 
chinery, the  advent  of  electrical  power,  the  changed  sys- 
tems of  mining  and  the  incessant  influx  of  utterly  unskilled, 
non-English-speaking  labor  into  the  mines  with  all  their 


58  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

attendant  hazards,  was  cruel  and  unjust  in  its  unfriendly 
criticisms  of  what  it  termed  "incompetent  mine  inspec- 
tors, "  "indifferent  state  and  federal  governments"  and 
"inhuman  mine  operators,"  thus  dividing  the  responsibility 
and  rendering  their  verdict  without  knowledge  of  the  true 
conditions  and  circumstances,  making  such  disasters  highly 
probable,  if  not  absolutely  certain. 

As  often  repeated  in  past  mining  history,  the  great 
sacrifice  of  human  life  in  the  mines  in  so  short  a  time, 
taught  its  lesson  and  left  its  imprint  on  the  minds  of  all 
deep  and  careful-thinking  men,  especially  mining  men. 

Anxious  to  learn  the  cause  and  devise  remedies  for 
such  awful  catastrophes,  a  series  of  very  thorough  investi- 
gations was  conducted  by  scientific  and  practical  experts, 
and  while  no  definite  or  final  conclusions  were  reached  as 
to  the  initial  or  primary  cause  of  such  occurrences,  much 
valuable  information  was  gained  regarding  the  many  new 
dangers  incident  to  new  methods  of  mining  and  producing 
coal,  the  accumulation  of  which  is  gradually  but  surely  ex- 
posing those  who  work  in  the  mines  to  much  greater  peril. 
There  is  very  little  doubt  that  the  researches  referred  to 
had  the  effect  of  convincing  nearly  every  one  who  took  a 
part  in  them  that  the  most  effective  way,  if  not  the  only 
way,  to  avert  such  calamities,  was  by  the  enactment  and 
judicial  enforcement  of  uniform  mining  laws  and  customs 
in  every  mining  state  where  similar  conditions  exist.  This 
conclusion  is  fully  sustained  when  we  hear  the  strong  pro- 
tests, and  in  many  instances,  logical  arguments  advanced 
by  mine  operators  against  the  enactment  of  stringent  min- 
ing laws  by  state  legislative  bodies,  not  because  they  are 
opposed  to  such  laws,  or  do  not  deem  them  necessary  in 
the  protection  of  life,  but  because  any  restrictions  put  upon 
them  that  will  increase  their  cost  of  coal  production,  will 
practically  exclude  them  from  their  natural  markets  in 
competition  with  coal  from  other  states,  the  operations  of 
which  they  claim  are  less  incumbered  with  cost-increasing 
legislation.  This  argument,  whether  a  sincere  one  or  not, 
we  presume  is  met  with  in  every  state,  and  is  a  severe 


DUTIES   OP   GOVERNMENT   IN   RELATION   TO    MINING.         59 

stumbling  block  in  the  way  of  securing  much-needed  mining 
legislation. 

On  June  9th  last,  a  gathering  of  mine  inspectors  from 
various  mining  states  convened  in  the  city  of  Indianapolis, 
Indiana,  and  after  considering  the  seriousness  of  the  situa- 
tion from  increasing  fatalities  in  mines,  decided  to  organ- 
ize an  Institute  of  Mine  Inspectors  of  the  United  States, 
with  the  object  in  view  of  mutual  assistance  and  more  com- 
plete co-operation  and  concerted  action  in  securing  better 
and  more  uniform  mining  laws.  While  a  movement  of  this 
kind  is  in  the  right  and  proper  direction  and  should  be  en- 
couraged and  sustained,  there  is  no  doubt  a  large  number 
of  those  who  favor  it  go  further  and  believe  that  any  step 
in  the  direction  of  better  and  safer  regulation  of  the  opera- 
tion of  mines,  to  be  general  and  successful,  should  be  of 
a  national  character,  having  the  moral  and  material  sup- 
port and  carrying  with  it  the  impetus  of  the  federal  govern- 
ment. 

There  may  be  some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  whether 
representatives  of  the  federal  government  can  exercise  any 
jurisdiction  and  authority  in  mines  in  the  various  mining 
states,  or  what  the  effect  would  be  on  state  mining  depart- 
ments, but  there  is  no  need  for  such  questions  to  arise.  A 
Federal  Bureau  of  Mines  could  do  very  efficient  work  by 
investigations  in  many  directions  and  in  co-operation  with 
state  mining  departments,  without  breaking  down  any  of 
the  state  constitutional  barriers,  or  in  any  way  interfering 
with  the  authority  of  state  mine  inspectors  in  the  proper 
performance  of  their  duties.  Standardization  and  uni- 
formity of  methods,  customs,  respective  duties  of  persons, 
application  of  motive  power,  and  many  other  things  in  con- 
nection with  mine  operation  are  highly  essential,  but  can- 
not possibly  be  accomplished  satisfactorily  in  the  various 
mining  states,  only  through  unity  of  State  Mining  Depart- 
ments and  Federal  co-operation  and  influence. 

The  subject  of  electricity  as  a  motive  power  in  the  op- 
eration of  mines,  and  the  dangers  accompanying  its  appli- 
cation, is  becoming  one  of  very  serious  import,  and  the 
diversity  of  opinion  amongst  electricians  and  students  on 


60  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

the  subject  as  to  methods  of  application  and  danger  result- 
ing from  the  various  systems  are  so  varied  that  they  are 
extremely  confusing,  and  many  of  them  far  from  being  sus- 
tained by  actual  results. 

Many  electrical  engineers  and  persons  looked  upon  as 
eminent  authority,  take  the  position  that  a  650-volt  system 
can  be  applied  in  mines  with  "  ordinary  safety, "  and  that 
there  is  little  more  danger,  if  any,  in  persons  coming  in 
contact  with  a  650-volt  wire  than  a  250-volt  one. 

Last  year  (1907)  about  80  per  cent  of  the  total  pro- 
duction of  coal  in  Ohio  was  produced  by  electric  mining 
machines  and  haulage  motors.  The  following  quotations 
are  taken  from  an  article  headed  "Electric  Wires,"  page 
30,  Ohio  Mine  Inspector's  Eeport  for  1905: 

"The  careless  and  unsystematic  placing 
of  wires  in  mines  for  the  purpose  of  conducting 
that  invisible,  deadly  power,  electricity,  and  the 
number  of  accidents  resulting  from  employes  com- 
ing in  contact  with  them,  is  a  matter  which  will 
sooner  or  later  force  itself  on  the  attention  of  the 
law-making  power  of  the  state  and  compel  the  en- 
actment of  stringent  legislation. 

"That  electricity  as  an  element  of  power  in  the 
production  of  coal  is  not  only  necessary  from  a 
standpoint  of  competition,  but  that  its  use  in  every 
legitimate  way  in  the  advancement  of  civilization 
is  justified,  is  acknowledged  by  every  progressive 
man.  It  is,  however,  highly  essential  that  the 
greatest  caution  be  exercised  in  its  application  so 
as  to  avoid  loss  of  life  or  injury  to  persons  coming 
in  contact  with  it. 

"There  were  six  fatal  accidents  during  the 
year,  resulting  from  contact  with  electric  wires 
in  the  mines  of  the  state.  This  may  not  seem  a 
very  large  number  of  fatal  accidents  considering 
the  amount  of  coal  produced  and  handled  by  elec- 
tricity, but  if  proper  care  and  foresight  are  used  in 
the  construction  of  wires,  which  can  very  easily  be 


DUTIES  OF  GOVERNMENT  IN  RELATION  TO   MINING.        61 

done,  especially  in  the  opening  of  new  mines,  this 
department  is  of  the  opinion  that  fatal  accidents 
from  this  cause  can  almost  entirely  be  eliminated. 
It  is  also  very  noticeable  that,  with  few  exceptions, 
the  fatal  accidents  from  coming  in  contact  with 
electricity  are  where  a  higher  power  of  five  hun- 
dred (500)  or  five  hundred  and  fifty  (550)  volts 
is  carried,  which  also  seems  unnecessary,  as  it  is 
fatal  to  those  whose  misfortune  it  is  to  come  in 
contact  with  them. 

"Some  manufacturers  of  high  power  electric 
machinery,  and  mine  operators  who  desire  to  use 
such,  may  take  exception  to  this  department  rais- 
ing the  question  of  limited  voltage,  but  we  feel  that 
it  is  but  fair  to  the  95  per  cent  of  the  mine  operat- 
ors in  the  state  to  say  that  they  are  successfully  op- 
erating their  mines  with  a  power  not  to  exceed  250 
volts,  which,  in  few  cases,  proves  fatal  where  per- 
sons stumble  against  the  wire,  and  those  operators 
ought  not  to  be  charged  in  common  for  the  loss  of 
life  with  those  who  use  an  unnecessary  and  exces- 
sively dangerous  power,  and  under  whose  oper- 
ation these  accidents  almost  exclusively  occur. " 

Until  August  10th  of  the  present  year,  there  has  been 
no  law  on  the  Ohio  statute  books  in  reference  to  the  appli- 
cation of  electric  power  in  mines. 

Taking  the  tonnage  reports  of  Ohio  mine  operators, 
made  last  January,  covering  the  previous  calendar  year 
(1907),  out  of  the  total  product  mined  by  electric  power, 
less  than  ten  per  cent  was  produced  by  the  500-volt  system, 
and  over  90  per  cent  by  the  250-volt  system.  Last  year 
(1907)  eleven  men  lost  their  lives  from  accidental  contact 
with  electric  wires.  Eight  of  them,  or  72  8-11  per  cent,  by 
the  500-volt  wire,  and  three  of  them,  or  27  3-11  per  cent, 
by  the  250-volt  wire. 

During  the  present  year  five  men  have  been  electro- 
cuted by  coming  in  contact  with  live  wires,  four  of  them, 


62  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

or  80  per  cent,  by  500  volts,  and  one  of  them,  or  twenty  per 
cent,  by  the  250  volts. 

These  statements  are  made  from  careful  investigation 
by  the  department  immediately  following  the  death  of  each 
man,  and  from  records  in  the  office,  the  accuracy  of  which 
cannot  in  any  particular  be  questioned. 

We  are  loth  to  disagree  with  our  foreign  experts  (who 
recently  visited  this  country)  on  the  question  of  danger 
from  high  voltage,  and  with  many  expert  electrical  en- 
gineers, and  shall  certainly  not  question  their  judgment, 
but,  considering  that  our  mine  inspectors  have  been  es- 
pecially vigilant  for  three  years  in  having  high  voltage 
wires  exceedingly  well  guarded,  and  that  men  are  very 
much  less  liable  to  carelessly  come  in  contact  with  high 
voltage  wires,  this  record  is  indeed  significant,  and  does 
not  speak  very  well  for  the  safety  of  high  voltage,  con- 
vincing us  that  there  must  be  some  mistake  in  recommend- 
ing a  650-volt  current  in  mines  as  ' '  ordinarily  safe, ' '  unless 
there  is  a  much  safer  method  of  applying  it  than  has  yet 
been  demonstrated.  , 

A  250-volt  system  is  acknowledged  by  most  mine  op- 
erators in  Ohio  to  be  sufficient  power  to  successfully  carry 
on  the  operation  of  all  present  day  mines,  and  if  properly 
utilized,  capable  of  mining  and  hauling  coal  two  or  three 
miles  underground.  The  largest  and  most  extensive  and 
best  regulated  mines  in  .Ohio,  having  the  greatest  produc- 
tion of  coal,  are  operated  by  the  250-volt  system,  and  have 
never  had  a  fatal  accident  from  electric  shock. 

The  secret  of  high  voltage  in  many  cases  in  our  state 
is  simply  a  question  of  transmitting  electric  power  into  the 
mines  at  the  least  possible  cost,  and  having  a  surplus  of 
power  to  overcome  losses  caused  by  a  cheap,  careless,  de- 
fective and  dangerous  method  of  conducting  it,  thus  un- 
necessarily pitting  human  life  against  careless,  incomplete 
methods  of  applying  the  power. 

A  number  of  fatalities  referred  to,  occurring  during 
the  last  two  years,  were  from  contact  with  wires  supposed 
to  be  thoroughly  insulated.  The  present  general  system 
of  insulating  electric  wires  is  a  complete  failure  in  mines. 


DUTIES  OP  GOVERNMENT   IN  RELATION  TO   MINING.        63 

It  soon  becomes  defective  and  is  a  delusion  and,  instead  of 
being  a  protection  and  safeguard  against  danger,  is  a  dan- 
ger in  disguise. 

In  four  years  33  men  in  Ohio  mines  have  met  death  by 
electric  shock,  and  if  the  installation  of  high  voltage  sys- 
tems is  permitted  to  continue  without  the  assurance  of 
greater  safeguards,  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  it  will 
be  one  of  the  greatest  sources  of  danger  that  the  miners  in 
every  mining  state  are  exposed  to.  This  invisible  power 
is  destined  to  revolutionize  mining  methods  in  every  min- 
ing state,  and  its  legitimate  use  should  be  encouraged,  but 
the  whole  subject  of  electricity,  especially  as  a  motive 
power  in  mines,  and  the  dangers  incident  to  its  applica- 
tion, should  be  thoroughly  investigated  by  a  Federal  Bu- 
reau of  Mines  or  Commission  of  scientific  and  practical  ex- 
perts representing  the  federal  government,  and  the  informa- 
tion gained  imparted  to  those  interested,  in  reliable  form. 

The  time  is  at  hand  when  in  a  great  many  mines,  the 
lives  of  the  whole  force  are  in  the  care  and  custody  of 
every  individual  who  enters  the  mine.  The  dangers  from 
gaseous  mines,  from  the  excessive  use  of  blasting  powder, 
from  blasting  coal  off  the  solid,  from  the  great  army  of  un- 
skilled miners  as  well  as  from  the  carelessness  of  those  in 
charge  of  the  mines  and  wanton  recklessness  of  employes, 
are  daily  increasing,  and  in  consequence  must  augment  the 
roll  of  fatalities.  The  cry  of  competition  from  mine  oper- 
ators, and  other  causes,  prevents  the  securing  of  necessary 
uniformity  in  laws  and  customs  by  individual  states.  The 
absence  of  an  established  central  body  is  a  "missing  link," 
an  immovable  stumbling  block  in  the  way  of  effective  con- 
cert of  action  by  the  various  State  Mining  Departments. 

The  only  way  to  bring  about  the  necessary  reform 
without  doing  injustice  to  the  industry  in  any  state  is  to 
seek  co-operation  with  the  federal  government  by  and 
through  the  establishment  of  a  National  Bureau  of  Mines, 
employing  the  best  scientific  and  practical  expert  talent 
that  the  states  can  produce,  an  institution  that  the  various 
mining  states  could  look  up  to  with  pride  and  confidence 
and  seek  information  on  any  or  all  matters  pertaining  to 


64  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II, 

mining.  Such  a  bureau,  with  a  staff  of  good,  competent 
men,  or  a  permanent  Commission,  could  make  such  investi- 
gations and  collect  and  compile  such  information  as  would 
be  of  benefit  and  interest  to  the  various  state  governments, 
and  those  connected  with  mining. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  such  a  Bureau  should  be  en- 
dowed with  any  power  or  authority  over  state  mining  de- 
partments, or  the  operating  of  mines  in  any  state.  It  ought 
to  have  right  of  access  to  mines  for  the  purpose  of  ascer- 
taining general  conditions  and  securing  information  for 
general  purposes,  co-operate  and  advise  with  state  authori- 
ties regarding  needed  changes  of  laws,  methods  or  customs ; 
it  should  promote  the  erection  and  maintenance  of  experi- 
mental testing  stations,  scientific  and  practical,  and  en- 
courage any  object  that  would  elevate  those  connected  with 
the  management  of  mines  to  a  higher  standard  of  efficiency. 
State  governments  and  state  mining  departments  should  be 
pleased  to  render  any  assistance  in  their  power  to  those 
connected  with  a  Federal  Bureau  of  Mines. 

The  question  of  solid  shooting,  or  blasting  coal  before 
being  properly  prepared,  and  all  its  attendant  dangers  to 
life  and  destructiveness  to  property;  the  reckless  waste  of 
coal  by  baneful  systems  of  mining  and  by  careless  manage- 
ment; the  excesive  use  of  blasting  powder;  the  dangers 
from  unskilled  labor;  the  serious  results  that  have  occurred 
and  may  occur  from  connecting  mining  properties;  the 
causes  for  so  many  mine  catastrophes  and  the  best  way  to 
prevent  them,  and  a  great  many  other  matters  of  equal 
seriousness,  are  well  worth  the  consideration,  and  we  believe 
are  entitled  to  the  most  earnest  consideration  of  every  mem- 
ber of  our  National  Congress  and  Senate. 

The  mine  disaster  and  such  serious  loss  of  life  at  Mari- 
anna,  occuring  just  at  the  time  it  did,  has  cast  a  pall  of 
gloom  over  the  city  and  a  cloud  of  solemnity  over  the  pro- 
ceedings of  this  Congress.  While  it  may  not  have  been 
the  hand  of  Providence  that  ordained  it,  we  trust  that 
the  thoughts  of  the  harrowing  scenes  at  the  mine  and  the 
sorrow  of  the  bereaved  ones,  have  left  such  an  impression 
on  the  mind  of  every  statesman  who  has  attended  this  Con- 


DUTIES  OF  GOVERNMENT  IN  RELATION  TO  MINING.        65 

gress,  that  there  will  be  no  further  doubt  about  the  estab- 
lishment and  maintenance  of  a  Federal  Bureau  of  Mines, 
and  that  it  may  be  truthfully  written  on  the  tombs  of  those 
poor  victims:  "Lives  given  up  in  sacrifice  for  better  min- 
ing laws  and  greater  protection  to  our  craftsmen. " 

On  behalf  of  the  members  of  the  Mine  Inspectors '  In- 
stitute of  the  United  States,  we  desire  to  thank  the  officers 
and  members  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  and  the 
United  States  Geological  Survey  for  their  kind  invitation 
to  us  to  attend  and  take  part  in  their  proceedings,  and  wish 
to  assure  them  that  we  are  with  them,  heart  and  soul,  in 
the  inauguration  of  any  movement  that  will  bring  greater 
success  to  the  mining  industry,  better  protection  to  ths 
miner,  and  more  comfort  and  happiness,  with  less  grief  and 
sorrow,  to  those  dependent  on  him. 


Conservation  in  the  Mining  Industry. 


BY  FRANK  M.   OSBORNE,  CLEVELAND,   OHIO. 

Since  the  early  part  of  the  Nineteenth  century  great 
inroads  have  been  made  on  the  fuel  resources  of  this  coun- 
try, and  especially  has  it  been  true  during  the  last  two  or 
three  decades,  during  which  time  the  increased  production 
has  been  rapid.  During  this  period  the  fuel  supply  in  Penn- 
sylvania has  been  drawn  on  for  more  than  half  of  the  entire 
total  production  in  the  United  States,  and  at  the  same  time 
great  waste  prevailed,  and  when  it  is  considered  that  we 
have  produced  half  of  the  coal  our  state  has  shared  half 
of  the  waste  that  has  been  going  on  since  the  beginning  of 
the  coal  mining  industry  in  this  country.  Each  year  the 
output  was  increased  and  but  little  attention  paid  until 
late  to  mining  methods  and  production  that  would  tend  to 
greatly  lessen  this  economic  waste. 

Our  past  shows  that  the  idea  was  prevalent  that  we 
had  plenty  of  good  black  carbon  in  the  hills  and  that  it 
would  last  forever,  but  our  industrial  progress  has  proves 
that  our  best  coals  are  being  rapidly  depleted  and  that  a 
curb  should  be  placed  upon  the  reckless  and  uneconomic 
methods  in  both  mining  and  consumption  of  our  fuel  re- 
sources, not  only  proper  methods  of  taking  the  coal  from  the 
hill  and  saving  the  entire  amount  of  fuel  that  nature  has 
given  us,  but  such  methods  of  consumption  of  coal  that  will 
enable  us  to  secure  for  our  welfare  and  position  in  indus- 
trial progress  the  benefit  of  as  large  a  percentage  as  pos- 
sible of  the  high  heat  values  and  by-products  in  the  coal  as 
it  goes  under  the  boiler  as  fuel  and  into  the  ovens  for  the 
making  of  coke. 

Great  Britain,  Belgium  and  other  countries,  and  many 
states  in  the  Union  have  not  been  blessed  with  such  a  mag- 
nificent deposit  of  high  grade  coal  as  has  western  Pennsyl- 
vania. Various  countries  observe  that  their  supply  is  quite 
limited,  that  they  are  compelled  to  go  deeper  into  the 


CONSERVATION   IN   THE    MINING   INDUSTRY.  67 

bowels  of  the  earth  and  at  the  end  of  their  efforts  find  com- 
partively  thin  beds  of  coal,  compared  with  the  coal  of  the 
Pittsburgh  or  Connellsville  bed,  which  is  the  best  and  most 
persistent  bed  of  coal  yet  discovered.  It  stands  promi- 
nently in  the  forefront,  not  only  because  of  its  quality  and 
great  regularity,  but  because  of  the  natural  and  commercial 
position  which  it  occupies. 

During  the  past  twenty  or  thirty  years  we  gave  but 
little  concern  to  the  great  loss  entailed  in  the  operation  of 
our  coal  mines  and  our  coking  plants,  but  modern  methods, 
machinery,  and  equipment  make  us  observe  the  fact  that  we 
can  lessen  the  loss  by  a  different  system  of  mining  the  coal, 
whereby  almost  the  entire  bed  of  merchantable  coal  is  ex- 
tracted. 

Until  recently  almost  every  one  believed  that  there  was 
an  unlimited  amount  of  coal.  They  have  been  very  little 
troubled  or  concerned  relative  to  the  future,  and  it  is  only 
of  late  that  our  industrial  interests  and  others  have  begun 
to  realize  that  they  have  been  mistaken,  and  nowhere  else 
is  the  fact  more  clearly  pointed  out  than  in  the  great  Pitts- 
burgh field.  Because  of  the  immense  deposits  and  the  fine 
quality  of  coal  and  the  easy  conditions  under  which  it  is 
mined,  the  merit  of  the  field  was  not  properly  regarded. 

There  was  great  waste,  much  coal  being  left  in  the  hills, 
the  miner  going  to  another  part  of  the  bed  where  the  un- 
derground haul  would  be  less  in  distance.  This  was  quite 
frequent.  The  coal  more  remote  from  the  pit  mouth  being 
unmined,  and  the  intervening  spaces  falling  in,  and  no  ef- 
fort made  to  keep  up  the  roof  that  it  might  be  taken  out  in 
the  future;  thousands  of  tons  would  thus  be  barred  from 
ever  reaching  the  surface  because  of  the  great  expense  that 
would  be  incurred  in  attempting  to  reach  the  lost  coal.  Such 
policy  might  be  likened  to  the  present  situation,  that  of 
using  the  coals  nearer  our  markets  and  the  points  of  large 
consumption,  and  at  later  date  in  order  to  secure  proper 
fuel  supply  we  will  be  compelled  to  pay  for  a  longer  haul  in 
the  transportation  of  coal  to  market,  and  in  most  cases 
secure  a  poorer  quality  of  coal  at  greater  expense  in  mining. 


68  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Our  industrial  interests  in  this  country  should  consider 
all  these  conditions  from  an  economical  standpoint.  We 
should  make  the  most  of  our  natural  resources.  The  time 
is  now  here  when  we  are  paying  for  product  on  the  basis  of 
quality.  Is  it  possible  or  probable  that  the  future  will  bring 
about  conditions  that  will  cause  us  to  be  satisfied  with  a 
poorer  grade  of  fuel  than  we  now  secure  from  our  coal  beds 
which  nature  has  so  kindly  provided ! 

The  question  is  frequently  asked,  "Have  we  reached 
our  zenith  in  the  production  of  coal?"  To  my  mind,  not 
until  our  industrial  activity  has  reached  its  zenith,  not  un- 
til our  country  is  crowded  because  of  its  population,  will  our 
fuel  production  begin  to  wane;  in  other  words,  if  our  popu 
lation  doubles  in  fifty  years  and  our  production  of  iron  and 
steel  and  other  products  increases  as  our  population  in- 
creases, our  coal  production  will  increase  in  similar  pro- 
portion. It  is  plainly  evident  that  our  future  must  look 
for  its  increased  supply  of  building  materials,  not  to  lum- 
ber but  to  iron  and  steel,  which  means  extended  use  of  fuel. 

The  use  of  gas  will  not  long  continue  to  be  from  a  natu- 
ral source  of  supply,  but  that  of  artificial.  With  the  deple- 
tion of  the  better  grades  of  fuel,  the  poorer  quality  more 
remote  from  market  might  mean  higher  prices  in  fuel,  which 
would  mean  a  greater  price  paid  for  the  product  made  in 
the  use  of  coal  and  coke.  With  these  facts  before  us  it  cer- 
tainly behooves  our  industrial  interests  to  get  the  entire 
value  out  of  the  fuel  to  whatever  use  it  is  placed. 

In  every  quarter  there  is  a  large  field  for  study,  re- 
search, and  the  putting  into  force  proper  action  as  to  what 
course  should  be  pursued  to  secure  the  desired  results. 

At  present  and  in  the  future  every  new  method  of  con- 
serving nature's  resources  should  be  considered.  Every 
year  we  discover  something  new  that  is  an  advantage  to  our 
natural  resources,  enabling  us  to  procure  more  perfect  fin- 
ished product  from  our  natural  resource.  At  the  same  time 
our  iron  ore,  our  coal,  our  timber,  our  gold,  and  all  other 
nature  products  will  be  drawn  on  in  a  greatly  increased  way 
as  our  industrial  position  progresses.  Extended  use  of  ccal 


CONSERVATION   IN   THE    MINING   INDUSTRY.  69 

in  our  large  industrial  centers  will  cause  rapid  depletion  of 
those  fields  located  nearest  these  centers  of  consumption. 

The  Pittsburgh  bed  of  coal  and  the  Connellsville  coke 
produced  from  same  is  of  such  quality  as  has  made  develop- 
ment of  our  iron  and  steel  industry  possible.  Almost  the 
entire  industrial  situation  surrounding  Pittsburgh  is  due 
to  the  presence  of  this  great  bed  of  fuel.  It  was  ideally 
located.  From  the  West  Virginia  line  to  Pittsburgh  the 
Monogahela  river  cuts  through  its  bed  and  leaves  it  ex- 
posed on  either  bank,  the  outcropping  shows  at  intervals 
throughout  the  entire  distance.  Our  early  settlers  used  but 
little  of  it,  but  today  in  the  Counties  of  Fayette,  Greene, 
Westmoreland,  Washington,  and  Allegheny  there  is  a  pro- 
duction of  more  than  75,000,000  tons  per  annum.  During 
the  past  twenty  years  the  increase  in  production  in  this 
district  has  averaged  ten  per  cent  per  year.  At  that  rate 
at  the  end  of  ten  years  the  five  counties  mentioned  will  be 
depleted  of  a  total  of  200,000  acres  from  their  area. 

It  is  our  worth  of  fuel  that  has,  in  the  main,  aided  us 
in  having  our  nation  lead.  The  absence  of  so  fortunate  a 
supply  of  coal  or  the  depletion  of  that  supply  would  show 
quite  a  different  industrial  situation  in  the  Pittsburgh  dis- 
trict. The  easy  accessibility  of  our  coal  means  cheap  fuel. 
The  advantage  of  quality,  the  decided  benefit  of  the  freight 
rate,  and  the  comparatively  remote  location  of  other  fields, 
makes  our  Pittsburgh  bed  of  coal  the  most  available. 

In  the  depletion  of  our  choicest  beds  of  fuel  we  should 
use  proper  and  economic  methods.  The  foundation  of  all 
these  industries  and  the  force  and  power  which  moves  the 
wheels  of  commerce  is  in  the  coal,  which  goes  into  the  fur- 
nace and  releases  the  stored  up  energy.  This  is  the  funda- 
mental basis  of  power,  and  let  us  use  it  in  the  most  economic 
manner.  Manufacturers,  gas  producers,  transportation  com- 
panies, power  plants,  and  numerous  other  industries  draw 
heavily  upon  our  fuel  reserve. 

The  conservation  of  our  coal  fields  as  proposed,  to- 
gether with  prevention  of  all  kinds  of  accidents,  will  mean 
considerably  increased  cost  in  the  production  of  coal,  for 


70  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

which  the  consumer  should  be  willing  to  pay,  as  at  the  pres- 
ent prices  to  the  large  consumer  it  is  about  on  the  same  basis 
as  what  it  would  cost  to  handle  and  haul  a  load  of  dirt  from 
your  back  yard. 

Let  us  bend  our  energies  to  conserve  our  resources  and 
stop  the  extravagant  waste. 


Transportation  in  Its  Relation  to  the  Mining  Industry. 


BY  DR.  JAMES  DOUGLAS,  OF  NEW  YORK. 

Nothing  can  express  more  emphatically  the  immense 
importance  of  mining  to  the  railroads  and  of  railroads  to 
mining  than  the  fact  that  of  the  total  traffic  of  the  United 
States,  53.09  per  cent  was  in  1906  the  product  of  the  mines. 
We  are  supposed  to  be  a  great  agricultural  country,  but 
from  the  table  which  I  have  copied  from  the  Statistics  of 
Railroads  of  the  United  States  of  the  Interstate  Commerce 
Commission,  we  see  that  agriculture  supplies  to  the  rail- 
roads only  8.56  per  cent  of  its  traffic,  the  animal  industry 
2.32  per  cent,  and  forestry  only  11.24  per  cent.  Nor  is  this 
a  purely  accidental  occurrence,  for  if  we  go  back  to  the  year 
1900  we  find  that  the  figures  correspond  by  only  a  slight 
difference  with  these.  In  1906  there  was  one-half  of  one 
per  cent  more  manufactures  carried  by  the  railroads,  and 
nearly  one-half  of  one  per  cent  less,  as  the  product  of  the 
mines.  Eecollect  that  these  figures  do  not  include  metals 
in  manufactured  form  derived  from  minerals.  The  follow- 
ing is  the  summary  showing  freight  traffic  movement  by 
class  of  commodity,  originating  on  lines  of  reporting  roads. 

1900  1906 

Tonnage  %                Tonnage  % 

Class  of  Commodity     reported  as  of  reported  as  of 

originating  aggre-         originating  aggre- 

on   line  gate              on   line  gate 

Products  of  agriculture   53,468,496  10.35          70,201,720  8.56 

Products  of  animals.  ..    14,844,837  2.87          19,002,825  2.32 

Products  of  mines 271,602,072  52.59  435,450,476  53.09 

Products  of  forests 59,956,421  11.61          92,187,351  11.24 

Manufactures     69,257,145  13.41  121,457,738  14.81 

Merchandise 21,974,201  4.26          33,319,615  4.06 

Miscellaneous     25;329,045  4.91          48,543,902  5.92 


516,432,217        100.00        820,164,627        100.00 

This  interdependence  of  the  transportation  and  mining 
industries  has  been  brought  about  by  the  great  distances 
which  separate  the  largest  deposits  of  iron  and  other  metals 
from  the  fuels  necessary  to  their  reduction.  If  we  go 


72  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

back  to  the  first  industrial  statistical  records  published  in 
the  census  of  1840,  we  find  that  in  that  year  there  were  286,- 
903  tons  of  pig  iron  made  in  1804  furnaces  located  all  over 
the  inhabited  country,  from  Maine  to  Minnesota,  the  aver- 
age production  per  furnace  per  day  being  only  2,170  pounds. 
At  that  time  the  2,818  miles  of  railroad  built  in  the  United 
States  were  confined  to  the  eastern  and  southern  States. 
There  were,  therefore,  no  means  of  transportation  except 
over  bad  roads  from  place  to  place,  and  wherever  there  was 
a  little  iron  ore,  some  water  power,  and  wood  to  make  char- 
coal, there  a  little  furnace,  with  sometimes  a  forge,  was 
erected  for  the  purpose  of  making  iron  for  local  use. 

Now  all  this  is  changed.  There  are  now  in  blast  less 
than  one  half  the  number  of  furnaces  that  existed  then,  say, 
on  June  30,  1906,  323  furnaces,  to  enable  us  to  produce  in 
1906  25,307,191  tons  of-  pig  iron.  But  this  large  figure  of 
finished  product  does  not  express  the  service  which  the 
railroads  extend  to  the  iron  interests,  for  this  tremendous 
quantity  of  iron  could  not  be  made  if  adequate  facilities 
were  not  provided  at  a  cheap  rate  for  the  transportation  of 
ore  to  the  fuel,  or  of  fuel  to  the  ore,  and  of  the  finished  pro- 
duct to  the  market.  The  quantity  of  iron  ore  mined  during 
1906  was  about  55,000,000  short  tons,  of  which  40,000,000 
tons  came  from  Lake  Superior,  and  most  of  this  was  trans- 
ported a  thousand  miles  to  Pittsburg  for  reduction,  simply 
because  the  best  coal  for  metallurgical  purposes  is  in  the 
neighborhood  of  your  good  city.  In  round  numbers  it  takes 
two  tons  of  iron  ore  to  make  one  ton  of  pig,  and  this  is  made 
with  one  ton  of  coke.  As  long  as  the  market  for  the  ton  of 
pig  is  where  the  coke  is  made,  the  iron  ore  will  be  shipped 
for  treatment  to  the  coke  and  the  market;  but  were  the  mar- 
ket to  be  at  or  near  the  iron  mines,  it  would  be  eminently 
more  advantageous  to  ship  the  fuel  to  the  ore.  In  any  case 
the  ore  and  the  fuel  are  so  widely  separated,  there  must  be 
three  tons  of  freight  moved  to  make  one  ton  of  pig  iron,  even 
out  of  such  extraordinarily  rich  ores  as  those  of  Lake  Su 
perior. 

The  East  affords,  however,  no  longer  the  exclusive  mar- 
ket for  pig  and  the  products  of  pig  iron  which  it  did.     The 


TRANSPORTATION  AND   THE   MINING   INDUSTRY.  73 

market  is  shifting  westward,  and  westward  it  will  continue 
steadily  to  shift,  and  the  centers  of  trade  will  move  west- 
ward with  the  movement  of  population  in  that  direction. 
In  response  to  this  inevitable  condition,  the  United  States 
Steel  Corporation  is  building  at  Gary,  Indiana,  on  Lake 
Michigan,  the  largest  iron  and  steel  works  ever  erected. 
But  even  they  are  not  built  upon  a  coal  bed;  and  therefore 
the  volume  of  crude  material  handled  will  have  to  be  the 
same,  though  the  finished  product  will  be  nearer  the  source 
of  consumption.  On  the  accompanying  maps  the  principal 
regions  where  coal  and  iron  are  mined  are  indicated,  though 
not  their  relative  importance. '  It  will  be  seen  that  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  largest  iron  deposits — those  of  Lake 
Superior — there  is  no  fuel,  but  in  carrying  the  Lake  ores  to. 
either  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  to  Buffalo,  Cleveland  and 
elsewhere,  or  to  Pittsburgh,  they  are  carried  to  points  in  the 
vicinity  of  coking  coal.  In  carrying  them  to  South  Chicago, 
the  new  works  at  Gary,  Indiana,  or  even  to  Joliet,  they  are 
carried  to  another  fuel  yielding  area. 

But  when  you  look  to  the  southern  states,  which  made 
between  13  and  14  per  cent  of  the  total  pig  iron  product  of 
the  country  in  1906,  you  will  see  that  the  iron  and  the  fuel 
are  in  close  juxtaposition.  There  are  even  instances  where, 
within  eight  miles  of  one  another,  coal,  iron  and  the  neces- 
sary limestone  for  flux  are  mined.  Similar  conditions  ex- 
ist in  limited  districts  elsewhere,  as  in  Bradford  County, 
Penn.,  but  there  the  ore  exists  in  limited  quantities.  No- 
where, except  in  the  southern  states,  does  iron  ore  exist  in 
sufficient  quantities  near  to  coal  to  influence  the  price  of  the 
metal  and  eliminate  transportation.  But  in  the  southern 
iron  regions,  as  a  counterbalance  to  this  advantage,  the  iron 
is  of  a  lower  grade,  besides  being  of  poorer  quality,  and  the 
coke  is  inferior,  both  in  structure  and  in  ash  contents,  to 
the  best  cokes  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  neighboring  states. 

The  westward  movement  of  population,  and  of  the 
market  for  all  commodities,  has  as  yet  created  only  one  large 
iron  manufacturing  center  within  the  Rocky  Mountain  re- 
gion. The  Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Company's  furnaces  and 
mills  at  Pueblo  turn  out  about  two  per  cent  of  the  country's 


74 


PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  IT. 


total  product.  They  are  built  nearer  the  coal  than  theii 
iron  supplies,  which  come  partly  from  southern  New  Mexico, 
Wyoming  and  distant  parts  of  Colorado.  Here  again  the 
railroad  is  an  essential  factor  to  their  very  existence. 

In  the  case  of  the  only  other  metal  in  which  this  coun- 
try pre-eminently  leads  the  world,  namely,  copper,  the  met- 


The  Distribution  of  Copper  in  the  United  States. 

allurgical  conditions  are  different.  While  the  average  iron 
ores  of  the  United  States  contain  nearly  fifty  per  cent  of 
metal,  the  average  copper  ores  contain  only  about  2l/2  per 
cent.  And  therefore,  to  make  the  900,000,000  pounds  of 
copper  a  year  which  we  turn  out,  there  are  mined  about 
11,250,000  tons  of  ore,  or  about  one-fourth  the  quantity  of 
iron  ore  mined.  From  this  point  of  view  the  copper  indus- 
try does  not  bear  an  insignificant  proportion  to  the  iron 
industry.  The  small  amount  of  only  fifty  pounds  of  copper 
to  the  ton  of  ore  is  recovered  partly  though  mechanical 
and  partly  through  metallurgical  processes,  which  require 
fuel  for  generating  power  and  fuel  for  reducing  the  ore  to 
metal.  In  both  cases  the  quantity  of  ore  to  be  handled, 
namely,  forty  tons  of  ore  to  make  one  ton  of  metal,  necessi- 
tates treatment  at  or  near  the  mines;  and  therefore  inevit- 
ably the  transportation  of  fuel  to  the  ore  instead  of  the 
transportation  of  ore  to  the  fuel.  In  the  case  of  the  ores  of 


TRANSPORTATION  AND  THE  MINING  INDUSTRY. 


75 


The  Distribution  of  Iron  Throughout  the  United  States 
and  Alaska. 

Lake  Superior,  which  average  less  than  2%  per  cen,t,  the 
fuel,  both  for  concentration  and  for  smelting,  is  transported 
700  or  800  miles  'from  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania.  Arizona  looks 
to  Colorado  or  New  Mexico  for  its  fuel  supply,  which  has  to 
be  hauled  on  an  average  700  miles.  The  Montana  copper 
mines  find  an  inferior  fuel  nearer  home,  which  supplies  most 
of  their  needs,  and  in  that  respect  they  enjoy  an  advantage 


The  Distribution  of  Coal  Throughout  the  United  States 
and  Alaska. 


76  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

over  the  other  two  competitive  regions,  but  the  copper  in- 
dustry is  as  dependent  as  the  iron  industry  upon  railroad 
transportation  for  its  prosperity  in  these  regions  so  remote 
from  the  markets  where  copper  is  bought,  sold  and  turned 
to  special  industrial  uses.  The  freight  rate  on  copper  bul- 
lion from  the  smelters  of  Montana,  Utah  and  Arizona  to  New 
York  is  $8.00  a  ton. 

When  we  come  to  distribute  the  coal  mined  in  this 
country,  which  amounts,  roughly  speaking,  to  400,000,000 
tons  a  year,  we  find  that  nearly  25  per  cent  of  it,  or  100,000,- 
000  tons,  is  consumed  in  transportation  purposes;  that  is  to 
say,  used  by  the  railroads  and  steamers  in  inland  waters; 
60,000,000  tons  are  consumed  in  the  manufacture  of  iron 
and  steel;  10,000,000  in  the  metallurgy  of  copper;  about  5,- 
000,000  in  reducing  other  metals  from  their  ores;  nearly  all 
the  anthracite,  which  amounts  to  about  70,000  tons,  and  say 
20,000,000  tons  of  bituminous  coal,  goes  into  domestic  use; 
and  the  balance  of  the  400,000,000  produced  may  be  assumed 
to  be  consumed  in  the  general  industries  of  the  country. 

Important  as  is  the  bearing  of  the  iron  industry  on  the 
prosperity  of  the  country,  it  is  small  as  compared  with  the 
influence  of  coal.  As  has  often  been  pointed  out,  coal  is 
our.  national  unifier.  Its  wide  distribution  and  its  cheap 
transportation  removed  those  dangerous  industrial  differ- 
ences creating  political  dissensions,  which  at  one  time  went 
far  towards  threatening  the  unity  of  the  country.  As  long 
as  New  England  monopolized  the  manufactures  of  the  coun- 
try and  the  south  depended  upon  cotton  raised  by  slave 
labor,  and  the  west  was  the  wheat  garden  of  the  country,  the 
tariff  for  instance  was  the  area  within  which  the  battles,  not 
only  of  trade  selfishness,  as  now,  but  of  sectional  interest, 
were  fought.  Free  trade  or  low  tariff  was  almost  a  neces- 
sity to  the  southern  planter.  High  tariff  was  essential  to 
the  existence  and  growth  of  the  struggling  manufacturing 
interests  of  the  New  England  and  Middle  States.  Now, 
through  the  abundance  and  cheap  distribution  of  fuel, 
through  the  south  and  in  the  middle  west,  coupled  with  its 
absence  in  New  England,  the  south  is  spinning  its  own  cot- 


TRANSPORTATION  AND  THE   MINING  INDUSTRY.  77 

ton,  and  manufactures  of  every  description  are  moving  to- 
wards the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes.  This  is  most  emphati- 
cally illustrated  by  a  comparison  of  the  activity  of  general 
manufacturing  as  evidenced  by  the  density  of  railroad 
traffic  with  the  quantity  of  coal  mined  within  any  given 
region.  In  the  following  table  I  have  arranged  the  states 
of  the  union  into  the  groups  used  in  the  report  of  the  Inter- 
state Commerce  Commission  for  1906,  and  in  the  two  last 
columns,  from  the  same  source,  extracted  the  number  of 
tons  of  freight  carried  one  mile,  which  expresses  the  density 
of  traffic  and  the  per  cent  in  each  group.  From  the  reports 
of  the  United  States  Gelogical  Survey  I  have  taken  the  coal 
produced  and  used  in  the  states  and  territories  included  in 
the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  groups. 

(See  Table  I,  Pages  78-79.) 

In  Group  One,  including  tne  New  England  States,  no 
coal  is  produced.  While  this  section  draws  a  small  quantity 
from  the  martime  provinces  of  Canada,  it  looks  chiefly  to  the 
states  of  Group  Two  for  its  fuel  supply.  You  will  perceive 
that  of  the  total  quantity  of  coal  mined  in  the  country, 
Groups  2  and  3  contribute  59.7  per  cent,  and  Groups  1,  2 
and  3  consume  49.8  per  cent.  The  difference  probably  goes 
largely  into  fuel  for  ocean  navigation.  Groups  4,  5  and  6 
produce  30.4  per  cent  of  the  total  product  and  the  density 
of  traffic  within  those  states  is  31.3.  Group  7  shows  a  coal 
production  of  only  1.9  per  cent,  but  the  most  active  of  the 
great  trans-continental  railroads  run  through  these  states, 
hence  the  density  of  traffic  does  not  correspond  closely  with 
the  coal  production.  But  the  parallel  is  recovered  when  we 
come  to  Group  8,  where  the  coal  production  is  6.4  per  cent 
and  the  density  of  traffic  is  7.2  per  cent.  It  cannot  be  acci- 
dental that  these  figures  so  closely  correspond.  It  means 
that  manufacturing  is  attracted  by  cheap  fuel,  and  that  the 
railroads  have  responded  to  the  demands  of  industry  by 
giving  to  the  fuel  and  the  products  of  manufacturing  indus- 
try, rates  which  have  stimulated  instead  of  repressing  the 
enterprising  spirit  of  the  country. 

This  brings  us  to  the  consideration  of  railroad  rates. 


78 


PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 


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TRANSPORTATION  AND   THE   MINING  INDUSTRY. 


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80 


PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 


The   following   table   shows   how   favorably   our   average 
freight  rates  compare  with  those  of  any  other  country. 

Last  year  the  average  rate  charged  per  ton  per  mile 
over  all  the  lines  of  the  United  States  on  all  classes  of 


AMERICAN  RAILROAD  RATES 

Comparison  of  Average  Rates  per  Ton-Mile 

(1902) 

Cents  .20     .40      .50     1.00   120    130    140    160    1.80   2.00 


'British  statistics  do  not  show  ton-mile  earnings. 
The  estimate  in  the  table  is  based  upon  the  concensus  of 
expert  opinion  that  the  average  ton-mile  rate  in  England 
is  a  little  over  two  cents.  The  North  Eastern  Railway 
which  alone  gives  ton-mile  statistics  reports  the  following 
average  ton-mile  receipts  in  1903:  on  minerals,  1.93 
cents;  on  merchandise  and  live  stock,  2.94  cents;  on  all 
commodities,  2.53  cents. 

freight  was  7.8  mills.  But  the  rates  on  fuel  and  mineral, 
which  are  everywhere  classed  as  commodities,  were  consid- 
erably below  the  average.  The  rates  charged,  however, 
were  far  from  uniform,  nor  should  the  public  expect  that 
they  would  be  the  same  everywhere.  The  cost  of  transpor- 
tation depends  upon  several  factors,  as  upon  density  of  traf- 
fic, upon  length  of  haul  and  upon  the  character  of  the  coun- 
try. Those  of  you  who  are  bi?yolis^s  know  how  rapidly 


TRANSPORTATION   AND   THE    MINING   INDUSTRY.  81 

the  energy  necessary  to  propel  your  bicycle  uphill  increases 
with  the  steepness  of  the  grade.  You  can  thus  appreciate 
the  increased  power,  and  therefore  the  increased  fuel,  nec- 
essary to  carry  a  railroad  train  uphill.  Favorable  condi- 
tions cannot  possibly  be  secured  in  every  section  of  the  coun- 
try, but  the  tendency  is  towards  cutting  down  grades,-  re- 
ducing curves,  and  putting  the  railroad  systems  of  the 
country  in  still  more  favorable  position  to  continue  to  serve 
the  public,  even  in  the  face  of  higher  cost  of  maintenance 
and  transportation.  The  lowest  cost  is  over  eastern  roads, 
where  the  traffic  is  heavy  and  the  grades  level.  The  high- 
est rates  are  naturally  in  the  Eocky  Mountain  region,  where 
population  is  scanty,  traffic  comparatively  light,  and  grades 
necessarily  steep.  The  custom  of  the  railroads  has  been  to 
grade  the  rate  of  freight  in  part  upon  the  value  of  the  ma- 
terial carried,  but  also  with  a  view  to  favoring  any  given 
industry  within  reach  of  the  railroad,  to  give  low  rates  upon 
what  are  classed  as  commodities.  In  every  tariff  coal,  coke 
and  the  ores  of  the  commoner  metals,  which  have  intrinsi- 
cally very  low  value,  are  carried  at  very  cheap  rates.  Coal 
itself  is  often  carried  at  less  than  the  average  cost  of  trans- 
portation. The  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railroad  reports  that 
their  coal  rate  is  slightly  over. four  mills  per  ton  mile.  The 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  and  the  Pennsylvania  railroads,  so  far  as 
we  can  gather  from  their  tariff,  carry  coal  at  about  3.4  to 
3.5  mills  per  ton  mile.  The  New  York  Central,  whose  aver- 
age freight  rate  is  only  a  trifle  over  six  mills  a  ton  mile, 
carries  coal  at  between  three  and  four  mills.  When  we  get 
further  west,  where  traffic  is  less  dense,  rates  are  slightly 
higher.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Chicago,  coal  and  coke 
rates  are  over  four  mills.  In  the  Kansas  City  region  they 
are  about  five  mills.  In  the  Eocky  Mountains  the  cost  of 
transporting  coal  runs  up  to  between  five  and  seven  mills. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  transportation  of  ores.  Transporta- 
tion of  the  iron  ores  of  Lake  Superior  by  rail  is  somewhere 
between  four  and  five  mills  per  ton  mile.  In  the  west  the 
transportation  I  believe  of  the  ores  from  Bingham  Canon 
to  Salt  Lake  City  over  a  very  difficult  piece  of  grade,  is  as 


82  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

high  as  7.5  mills  per  ton  mile.  But  if  you  take  the  enormous 
tonnage  which  Butte  offers  to  the  railroad,  we  find  that  the 
ore  is  carried  for  12  cents  a  ton  from  Butte  to  Anaconda,  a 
distance  of  26  miles  (4.6  mills  per  ton  mile)  and  is  carried 
for  just  about  four  mills  a  ton  mile  from  Butte  to  Great 
Falls,  176  miles,  by  the  Great  Northern.  In  the  Southwest 
we  have  to  charge  a  little  more  than  that,  but  railroad  trans- 
portation on  ore  from  Bisbee  to  Douglas,  a  distance  of  28 
miles,  is  20  cents.  On  short  hauls  the  rates  must  necessarily 
be  high.  The  time  wasted  by  the  crew  (and  the  interest 
on  the  rolling  stock  while  the  freight  is  being  loaded  and 
discharged)  is  sometimes  almost  as  great  as  that  occupied 
in  the  transportation  of  the  ore  itself.  No  reasonable  man 
can  find  fault  with  the  average  cost  of  railroad  transporta- 
tion throughout  the  country  at  large,  nor  with  the  very  low 
figure  at  which  such  commodities  as  coal  and  ore  are  car- 
ried. It  is,  however,  an  open  question  as  to  whether  the 
railroads  are  altogether  wise  in  charging  such  a  high  rate 
on  articles  in  the  higher  classes,  and  charging  such  low 
rates  on  commodities.  It  might  be  fairer  to  charge  a  little 
more  to  the  great  industries  of  the  country  and  charge  a 
little  less  to  the  great  body  of  the  shipping  public,  who 
grumble  because  their  railroad  bills  are  large  and  the  tariff 
is  so  high  on  certain  classes.  The  average  rates  are  cer- 
tainly not  too  high,  if  the  railroads  use  their  revenue  for 
the  proper  maintenance  of  their  roads  and  equipment;  but 
it  might  not  be  unfair  to  raise  commodity  rates  and  lower 
class  rates  while  maintaining  the  average.  Our  railroads, 
especially  those  whose  traffic  consists  largely  of  fuel  and 
mineral,  have  to  contend  with  tremendous  fluctuations  in 
traffic.  This  both  the  railroads  and  the  public  have  ex- 
perienced to  their  serious  inconvenience  during  the  boom 
and  since.  The  traffic  of  the  country  rapidly  rose  during 
1905.  1906  and  1907,  then  suddenly  dropped.  As  indicated 
by  the  car  supply  when  the  boom  was  at  its  height,  there 
was  a  shortage  of  over  8,000  cars.  In  May  last  there  were 
over  400,000  empty  cars.  Today,  when  the  industries  of 
the  country  are  reviving,  there  is  still  a  car  surplus  of  222,- 
000.  One  can  appreciate  the  affect  on  the  railroads  of  a 


TRANSPORTATION  AND  THE   MINING  INDUSTRY.  83 

shock  to  public  confidence  by  taking  a  single  instance  as  an 
illustration.  Last  year  there  were  being  erected  in  New 
York  nine  buildings,  counting  the  McAdoo  building  as  two, 
into  whose  framework  there  entered  approximately  95,000 
tons  of  steel,  an  average  of  over  10,000  tons  to  each  building. 
Assuming,  therefore,  10,000  tons  to  be  the  quantity  enter- 
ing each  of  these  large  skyscrapers,  every  such  building,  for 
the  supply  of  its  framework  alone,  contributes  to  the  traffic 
of  the  country  the  following  items: 

Twenty  thousand  tons  of  iron  ore. 

Twelve  thousand  tons  of  flux  and  fuel. 

Ten  thousand  tons  of  freight  shipped  to  the  shops  where 
the  steel  is  assembled,  and 

Ten  thousand  tons  from  the  assembling  shop  to  the 
point  where  the  building  is  erected;  making  a  total  of  52,000 
tons  of  freight  handled  by  the  railroads  for  the  steel  skele- 
ton alone  of  a  single  one  of  the  many  buildings  of  that  type 
being  erected  throughout  the  country. 

The  following  table  expresses  significantly  the  growing 
activity  of  the  country: 

The  percentage  of  increase  in  the  tons  of  coal  mined 
between  successive  decennial  periods  could  not  possibly  be 
maintained.  For  instance,  between  1850,  when  there  were 
only  6,000,000  tons  mined,  and  1860,  when  the  total  rose  to 
16,000,000,  there  was  an  increase  of  150  per  cent,  though 
only  10,000,000  tons  more  were  produced  in  1860  than  were 
produced  in  1850,  whereas  the  quantity  mined  in  1906  was 
145,000,000  tons  in  excess  of  that  mined  in  1900,  though 
that  made  only  53  per  cent  increase.  So  likewise  in  the 
population;  the  increase  of  population  during  the  decennial 
period  from  1850  to  1860  was  35.6  per  cent,  and  during  the 
decennial  period  from  1890  to  1900  it  was  only  21  per  cent, 
despite  the  heavy  immigration.  But  if  we  take  the  coal  con- 
sumption per  head  of  population,  that  has  gone  on  in  a 
steadily  increasing  ratio.  So  far  as  statistics  can  be  relied 
on,  in  1850  less  than  one-third  of  a  ton  was  consumed  per 
capita,  whereas  during  1900,  when  the  population  was  a 
little  over  75,000,000,  3.53  tons  were  consumed  per  person. 


84 


PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 


TATES 

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TRANSPORTATION  AND  THE   MINING  INDUSTRY.  85 

Assuming  the  population  in  1906  to  have  been  84,000,000, 
the  consumption  per  head  was  4.93  tons  per  annum.  This 
increased  per  capita  consumption  represents,  not  the  fuel 
used  per  head  for  domestic  purposes,  but  represents  the 
prodigious  increase  in  consumption  of  fuel  in  meeting  the 
rapidly  increasing  demands  of  the  national  industries.  The 
much  greater  increase  in  coal  consumption  per  head  over 
the  percentage  of  increase  in  population  shows,  moreover, 
how  machinery  is  supplanting  hand  labor. 

These  figures,  illustrative  of  the  intense  national  activ- 
ity in  using  up  with  terrific  speed  the  natural  national  re- 
sources, may  well  excite  some  anxiety  as  to  their  duration. 
That  there  is  waste,  and  that  the  waste  is  inevitably"aggra- 
vated  by  the  headlong  speed  with  which  the  great  industries 
of  the  country  have  been  developed  in  order  to  keep  pace 
with  the  national  demands,  cannot  be  denied,  and  must  be 
deplored,  and  it  is  high  time  that  some  corrective  be  applied. 
At  the  same  time,  while  some  of  the  waste  is  reckless,  some 
is  undoubtedly  attributable  to  ignorance  and  inexperience, 
due  to  the  backwardness  of  our  knowledge.  In  the  anthra- 
cite regions  the  heaviest  waste  used  to  be  due  to  the  crush- 
ing and  screening  of  the  coal,  to  an  accumulation  of  moun- 
tains of  breeze,  which  at  one  time  was  waste,  as  the  proper 
devices  for  burning  it  had  not  been  invented;  now  it  is 
utilized. 

As  to  underground  waste  generally  in  coal  mining,  the 
subject  opens  up  so  many  controversial  points  which  will  be 
discussed  at  other  meetings,  that  I  will  not  touch  upon  them. 
It  is  unfair,  however,  to  assume  that  everyone  is  malicious- 
ly wasteful  and,  in  estimating  waste,  to  go  back  to  earlier 
periods  and  quote  instances  in  the  past,  when  and  where  the 
best  was  being  done  that  the  existing  experience  and  appli- 
ances permitted.  And  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  past 
generation  has  seen  tremendous  efforts  made  by  the  engi- 
neer, and  seconded  by  the  manufacturer,  to  generate  power 
at  reduced  consumption  of  fuel.  The  old  slide  valve  engine 
consumed  from  five  to  seven  pounds  per  horsepower  hour, 
and  yet,  though  the  first  large  Corliss  engine  was  exhibited 


86  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

at  the  Philadelphia  Exposition,  few  establishments  have  hes- 
itated to  throw  out  the  old  type  and  introduce  at  any  cost 
the  newer  fuel-saving  engines.  Since  then  the  gas  engine 
and  turbine  engine  have  been  introduced  and  greatly  im- 
proved in  structure  and  in  efficiency. 

The  terrible  waste  of  coal  ui?der  the  boiler  is  recognized 
by  everybody,  but  being  recognized,  the  engineering  and 
manufacturing  community  do  not  sit  idly  deploring  the 
waste,  but  have  combined  to  steadily  reduce  it  by  improved 
types  of  boilers,  or  by  converting  the  coal  into  gaseous  fuel, 
Of  all  the  fuel  wasters,  the  locomotive  is  probably  the  great- 
est, but  it  is  in  order  to  minimize  this  waste,  and  the  cost  of 
the  waste,  that  railroad  companies  are  electrifying  their 
roads,  and  using  high  class  stationary  boilers  and  engines 
and  electrical  transmission  at  the  expenditure  of  prodigious 
sums  of  money. 

It  is  unfair,  therefore,  that  the  public  should  be  led  to 
suppose  that  from  sheer  cupidity  and  recklessness  the  min- 
ing and  manufacturing  classes  are  indifferent  to  waste, 
which  in  most  cases  they  are  doing  their  best  to  minimize, 
but  are  powerless  to  summarily  stop.  In  truth,  remedies 
are  only  applied  when  disease  is  recognized,  and  therefore, 
whether  in  agriculture,  mining  or  manufacturing,  the  losses 
incidental  to  waste  can  only  be  reduced  after  they  are  recog- 
nized as  existing,  and  then  by  the  application  of  science,  in- 
genuity and  no  little  toil  and  self-denial;  for  it  is  so  much 
easier  to  jog  along  by  the  old  route  than  to  spend  time  and 
trouble  and  money  in  tracing  out  and  building  a  better. 
But  no  one  can  look  back  over  the  past  half  century  without 
admitting  that,  despite  all  the  shortcomings  and  the  selfish- 
ness and  ignorance  of  the  few,  immense  technical  progress 
has  been  made  by  the  great  leaders  in  the  mining  and  manu- 
facturing industries,  and  that  every  step  forward  has  been 
in  the  direction  of  economy  and  reduction  of  waste.  Be- 
cause there  is  so  much  still  to  be  done,  that  is  no  reason  why 
some  credit  should  not  be  given  for  what  has  already  been 
accomplished.  The  most  inexcusable  waste  is  that  of  the 
by-products  in  the  coking  of  coal.  The  first  by-product 


TRANSPORTATION  AND   THE   MINING   INDUSTRY.  87 

ovens  were  built  in  1893,  and  until  1901  every  year  showed 
a  notable  increase  in  the  substitution  of  by-product  ovens 
for  the  usual  beehive  type.  Since  then  the  annual  construc- 
tion of  beehive  ovens  has  diminished,  and  only  413  new 
ovens  were  built  in  1905,  as  against  1,533  in  1901.  Only 
about  4,500,000  tons  of  coke  is  now  made  in  by-product 
ovens.  The  complaint  made  by  the  by-product  coke  makers 
is  that  there  is  no  market  for  the  by-products,  especially  the 
tar.  The  contention  cannot  be  groundless,  and  yet  it  is  an 
opprobrium  on  our  chemical  industry  that,  considering  the 
high  price  of  creosote  for  the  preservation  of  our  timber, 
especially  when  used  for  ties,  and  the  enormous  demand  for 
aniline  products,  that  such  should  continue  to  be  the  case. 
Even  however,  when  these  chemical  by-products  cannot  be 
utilized,  it  seems  a  reckless  waste  that  the  power  which  can 
be  generated  from  the  waste  gases  should  not  be  conserved. 
This  is  done  to  a  certain,  but  a  very  slight,  extent  in  under- 
flue  ovens  in  Pennsylvania,  and  at  the  Dawson  coal  fields  we 
are  running  our  washery  and  underground  transportation 
and  certain  subsidiary  plants  by  transmission  power  from  a 
power  plant  operated  entirely  by  our  waste  gases.  The  sav- 
ing to  us  amounts  to  about  2,000  tons  of  coal  a  month.  Tak- 
ing our  proportion  of  coal  to  the  total  mined  throughout  the 
United  States,  the  total  saving  in  coal  at  the  mines  would  be 
about  8,000,000  tons,  if  the  waste  gases  from  such  portion 
of  that  coal  as  is  coked  were  converted  into  power. 


The  Federal  Government  in  Its  Relation  to  the  Mining 

Industry. 

BY  HON.  JAMES  RUDOLPH  GARFIEL.D,  SECRETARY  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 

WASHINGTON. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  This  meeting  of 
the  American  Mining  Congress  is  one  of  the  most  note- 
worthy meetings  that  has  been  held  for  many  years,  for  the 
reason  that  it  has  brought  together  from  all  sections  of  our 
country  the  men  who  are  actually  engaged  in  the  develop- 
ment of  our  mining  resources.  Very  fortunately  the  repre- 
sentation has  been  not  only  from  the  various  sections  of  the 
country,  but  as  well  from  different  kinds  of  mining  inter- 
ests; from  those  who  are  the  owners  as  well  as  those  who 
are  working  in  the  mines.  For  these  reasons  the  results 
of  this  conference  should  be  of  very  great  value.  As  I  said 
this  morning,  it  is  through  conferences  of  this  kind  where 
reasonable  men  get  together  and  discuss  the  facts,  free  from 
passion  or  prejudice  or  partisanship  or  a  desire  to  obtain 
some  special  point,  that  we  reach  the  most  just  and  the  most 
permanent  conclusions. 

I  have^been  asked  to  speak  for  a  few  moments  on  the 
subject  of  the  relation  of  the  Federal  Government  to  the 
mining  industry,  and  what  the  Federal  Government  has 
done  and  may  do  hereafter  for  that  great  industry.  I  have 
heard  it  said  at  some  meetings — not  here,  but  at  other  times 
—that  the  Federal  Government  has  not  done  anything  for 
mining  as  an  industry.  But  those  who  have  made  such 
remarks  have  not  considered  all  the  various  agencies  of  the 
Federal  Government  that  have  been  engaged  upon  the  study 
of  mining  and  of  mineral  resources.  We  too  often  think 
that  the  action  of  a  Government  on  any  given  subject  means 
some  active  participation  in  the  doing  of  a  specified  thing 
or  direct  interference  with  or  regulation  of  a  specific  in- 
dustry or  work.  But  that  does  not  cover  the  field  of  activity 
of  the  Government,  and  it  is  particularly  true  with  the  work 
of  the  Federal  Government  in  the  matter  of  mining  and  min- 
eral resources. 


FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  AND  MINING.  89 

The  Geological  Survey  from  its  inception  has  had 
charge  of  and  had  to  do  with  the  study,  careful  examination 
and  investigation  of  our  mineral  resources.  The  study  of 
the  geological  formations  of  our  country  necessarily  involve 
the  study  of  ores  and  other  mineral  deposits  as  well,  and 
covers  the  broadest  possible  field  of  investigation  of  min- 
eral resources.  Of  course,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
Geological  Survey  has  never  attempted  to  pick  out  special 
localities  where  great  strikes  might  be  made.  But  its 
scientific  men,  its  trained  and  skillful  investigators  have 
been  going  throughout  this  broad  land  expressly  for  the 
purpose  of  studying  its  geological  formations  and  of  giving 
us  some  definite  ideas  about  the  minerals  that  may  be  ex- 
pected to  be  found.  This  study  has  at  times  in  a  very  re- 
markable way  developed  special  deposits  that  have  been  of 
tremendous  commercial  value;  but  such  has  not  been  the 
prime  purpose  of  those  particular  investigations.  They 
have  gone  hand  in  hand  with  the  scientific  investigations 
made  by  the  survey. 

Then  again,  the  Geological  Survey  has  had  as  part  of 
its  work  the  classification  of  the  public  domain.  This  work 
of  classification  has  not  been  carried  on  in  the  years  past 
with  that  degree  of  activity  which  I  hope  will  mark  its 
work  hereafter.  The  classification  of  the  public  domain 
means  a  very  great  gain  to  the  mining  industry.  The  class- 
ification involves  not  merely  the  classification  of  the  sur- 
face, whether  timber  or  agricultural,  but  it  goes  further 
and  will  give  a  just  and  fair  classification  of  what  may  be 
the  mineral  deposits  under  the  surface.  This  work  of  class- 
ification during  the  last  two  years  on  the  question  of  coal 
and  other  fuels  has  been  of  enormous  value  to  the  mining 
industry.  We  are  delimiting  in  a  way  we  have  never  been 
able  to  do  before  the  coal  area,  the  area  of  gas  and  the  area 
of  oil. 

As  our  men  make  their  regular  tours  of  investigation 
either  in  topographic  or  geological  work,  there  is  kept  con- 
stantly in  mind  every  phase  of  the  National  resource  prob- 
lem. They  are  endeavoring  to  locate  all  these  great  sources 
of  National  wealth,  to  describe  them,  and  then  finally  to 


90  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

map  them  in  such  fashion  that  they  may  be  of  practical 
use  to  those  who  are  going  to  develop  them.  As  you  study 
the  reports  of  the  Geological  Survey,  as  you  look  for  special 
topics,  on  special  subjects  that  have  been  investigated,  you 
will  find  that  the  Federal  Government  through  that  survey 
has  done  an  enormous  amount  for  the  mining  industries 
of  this  country.  .Those  who  are  collecting  this  informa- 
tion, as  it  is  being  collected  in  any  of  the  great  scientific 
libraries,  or  in  the  hands  of  experts  in  industrial  life,  in 
trying  to  find  out  what  those  resources  have  been,  have 
found  to  their  astonishment  that  the  survey  has  been  a  long 
ways  ahead  of  the  practical  man  in  delimiting  and  defining 
and  investigating  the  mineral  resources  of  our  country. 

Now,  along  with  what  we  ordinarily  term  the  mining 
industry,  when  we  think  of  it  as  referring  to  the  minerals, 
there  has  also  been  the  very  careful  study  of  the  water  re- 
sources of  the  country.  The  water  resources  are  closely 
connected  with  the  mineral  resources.  In  fact  they  are  de- 
fined as  mineral  resources,  and  they  are  not  only  connected 
with  the  mineral  resources  in  the  development  of  the  water 
power  itself,  but  the  use  of  water  power  means  the  develop- 
ment in  many  areas  of  mines  themselves  in  such  manner  as 
we  had  not  hitherto  contemplated.  Every  horse  power 
that  is  created  through  the  development  of  water  power 
may  be  put  into  a  form  to  dig  from  the  earth  the  mineral 
that  is  deposited  there.  Therefore  all  the  resources  of  the 
country,  the  water,  the  timber,  the  coal,  the  fuel,  all  must 
be  used  together,  must  be  studied  together,  must  be  con- 
sidered as  one  great  problem  to  be  handled  in  a  way  that 
is  both  scientific  and  at  the  same  time  thoroughly  practical. 

Now  the  Geological  Survey  has  for  its  great  work  this 
classification  of  the  resources  of  our  country,  the  presenta- 
tion of  the  classification  in  such  manner  that  the  practical 
mining  man  may  know  how  best  to  use  those  resources,  how 
best  to  conserve  them,  using  what  we  actually  need  without 
unnecessary  waste;  and  handing  down  what  we  do  not  use 
in  condition  as  available  and  accessible  as  they  ever  were. 
When  I  say  "hand  them  down,"  I  recognize  there  are  cer- 
tain classes  of  our  resources  that  cannot  be  handed  down 


FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  AND  MINING.  91 

better  than  we  received  them,  for  their  very  use  means  de- 
struction. Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  we  can,  by  the  proper 
use,  by  the  avoidance  of  waste,  conserve  even  those  de- 
structible resources  so  that  we  may  very  greatly  lengthen 
their  life  to  this  nation. 

Those  are  some  of  the  questions  that  the  Geological 
Survey,  through  its  technologic  branch,  a  portion  of  the 
plant  of  which  we  were  examining  this  afternoon,  is  giving 
the  closest  attention  to.  Those  are  some  of  the  essential 
points  in  the  further  study  of  the  mining  industry  of  our 
country,  namely,  the  prevention  of  waste,  the  prevention  of 
unnecessary  loss  of  these  great  resources.  Every  ton  of 
coal  that  we  save,  every  ton  of  coal  that  we  prevent  from 
being  wasted,  means  that  that  ton  of  coal  will  in  some  year 
hereafter  be  put  to  some  good  use.  Every  investigation 
that  leads  in  the  end  to  higher  heat  efficiency  from  a  ton 
of  coal  means  that  we  are  conserving  by  preserving  hun- 
dreds of  tons  of  coal  that  would  otherwise  be  immediately 
used,  and  hence  lost.  Therefore  in  the  study  of  the  ques- 
tion of  waste,  every  man  interested  in  mining  must  recog- 
nize that  all  the  scientific  work  of  the  Government  that  has 
for  its  purpose  the  development  of  methods  that  will  pre- 
vent waste  is  a  work  that  he  should  co-operate  with,  to  the 
end  that  that  work  may  be  made  more  practical  every  year. 

In  connection  with  this  there  is  another  element  of 
waste.  "We  know  that  mining  brings  in  the  sociological 
side  of  the  work  of  the  Government;  and  we  heard  that  dis- 
cussed this  morning,  namely,  how  are  we  to  preserve  the 
lives  of  the  men  who  are  working  in  the  mining  industry? 
Whenever  we  save  a  man's  life  we  thereby  save  commer- 
cially in  the  industry;  we  prevent  the  shock  of  that  man's 
death  from  being  charged  either  against  the  community 
in  which  he  lived  or  the  special  industry  in  which  he  has 
been  working.  Even  putting  the  question  of  the  saving  of 
life  and  the  prevention  of  injury  upon  the  lowest  of  all 
planes,  namely,  that  of  dollars  and  cents,  we  find  that  the 
study  of  every  device,  of  every  method  that  means  the  pre- 
vention of  accident,  is  a  commercial  saving. 

But  aside  from  the  commercial  side  we  must  recognize 


92  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

that  in  this  great  industry,  and  it  involves  not  only  the  min- 
ing of  the  fuel  but  all  classes  of  mines,  the  question  of  how 
we  are  to  improve  the  conditions  under  which  men  work 
under  ground  is  one  that  the  Government  ought  to  give 
most  careful  consideration  to.  As  I  said  this  morning,  and 
in  this  we  all  agree,  that  in  changing  from  doing  work  as 
individuals  to  organized  societies,  either  in  the  form  of 
partnerships  or  corporations,  each  individual  gives  up  some- 
thing of  his  own  individual  right  or  privilege  which  he  for- 
merly exercised,  and  assumes  obligations  towards  the  com- 
munity or  towards  the  associates  with  whom  he  is  working. 
Therefore,  as  in  the  mining  industry  the  operators  who  are 
employing  hundreds  and  thousands  of  men,  understand 
that  the  method  of  dealing  with  the  underground  are  not 
to  be  measured  in  dollars  and  cents;  and  men  will  under- 
stand that  their  profit  is  not  to  be  measured  merely  in  the 
wage  that  is  gained.  The  miner  and  the  operator  and  the 
state  and  the  Federal  Government  must  all  co-operate  in 
endeavoring  to  devise  methods  by  which  this  tremendous 
waste  of  resources  and  loss  of  life  may  be  prevented.  We 
must  have  intelligent  and  fair  regulations;  and  these  regu- 
lations must  be  obeyed  by  the  men  in  the  mines. 

It  is  too  often  the  case  that  great  loss  of  life  is  brought 
upon  large  numbers  of  laboring  men  not  because  there  has 
been  any  failure  on  the  part  of  the  mine  owner  to  provide 
the  proper  regulation  or  methods,  but  because  some  single 
individual  has  failed  in  his  duty,  in  his  obligations  that  he 
owed  to  his  fellow- workmen.  Both  the  miner  and  the  op- 
erator should  understand  that  it  is  useless  for  the  Federal 
Government  to  conduct  investigations  and  discover 
methods;  and  it  is  useless  for  the  state  to  enact  fair  and 
wise  laws  for  the  prevention  of  mine  accidents,  unless  the 
operator  provides  the  needed  equipment  and  other  facili- 
ties and  proper  supervision;  and  unless  the  men  who  are 
doing  the  work  in  the  mine  recognize  to  the  full  their  obli- 
gation to  obey  those  regulations  to  assume  each  for  himself 
the  full  duty  of  obeying  and  recognizing  that  he  as  an  indi- 
vidual cannot  do  as  he  pleases,  but  must  act  in  concert,  in 
harmony  with  those  with  whom  he  is  associating. 


FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  AND  MINING.  93 

Then  again,  the  Federal  Government  is  studying  con- 
stantly the  questions  which  have  been  raised  in  some  of 
the  discussions  this  morning  regarding  the  cost  of  produc- 
tion. I  believe  that  one  of  the  curses  not  only  of  the  mining 
industry  but  as  well  of  all  industry  in  this  country,  has  been 
the  desire  upon  the  part  of  both  the  manufacturer  and  the 
consumer  to  get  a  cheap  product.  Nothing  is  so  great  a 
curse  to  our  industrial  life  today  as  that  cry  of  cheapness, 
cheapness,  cheapness.  It  is  not  cheapness  that  we  want, 
but  efficiency  in  the  work,  honesty  of  product;  and  then 
charge  the  price  that  is  commensurated  with  the  service 
given,  and  the  character  of  the  product  that  is  put  forth. 
(Applause.) 

That  same  idea  is  applicable  to  the  transportation 
question,  and  that  has  been  touched  upon.  We  clamor  for 
lower  rates  of  freight.  We  must  recognize  that  if  we  ask 
for  too  low  rates,  we  necessarily  involve  the  company  that 
is  forced  to  give  those  too  low  rates  in  a  position  where  it 
is  necessary  to  cut  down  on  some  of  its  expenses.  We  can- 
not cut  off  the  source  of  earnings  and  at  the  same  time  im- 
pose additional  burdens  that  mean  additional  expense  and 
expect  that  company  to  transport  and  otherwise  give  the 
service  that  it  ought  to  give  to  the  public.  We  should  rec- 
ognize that  what  we  as  a  people  must  demand  is  efficiency 
of  service,  a  service  on  the  transportation  highways  that 
gives  us  freedom  from  accident,  more  trains,  safer  service, 
and  then  as  cheap  a  rate  as  is  consistent  with  all  of  that, 
plus  a  fair  and  reasonable  profit  to  those  who  have  invested 
their  money  in  those  enterprises.  (Applause.) 

Now  the  relation  of  the  Federal  Government  to  this 
industry  has  been,  as  I  have  indicated,  a  studying  of  all  of 
these  various  conditions.  Now  are  we  going  to  continue 
this  work  without  overstepping  the  powers  and  duties  of 
the  Federal  Government?  I  have  no  doubt  many  of  you 
have  heard  it  said  that  this  present  administration  has  been 
guilty  of  many  acts  of  usurpation  of  executive  authority, 
that  it  has  extended  the  activities  of  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment beyond  the  powers  that  seem  to  have  been  given  it 
under  the  Constitution.  And  yet  I  am  confident  that  when 


94  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

history  is  written,  that  when  we  as  reasonable  men  consider 
what  has  been  done,  we  will  find  that  there  has  been  no  un- 
due extension  of  executive  authority  or  of  Federal  author- 
ity in  dealing  with  matters  of  trade  and  commerce.  (Ap- 
plause.) 

Fortunately  for  our  people  we  had  on  the  Supreme 
bench  in  the  early  days  of  our  history  as  a  nation,  the  mas- 
ter mind  of  Marshall.  He  foresaw  the  danger  of  a  strict 
definition  of  the  commerce  clause  of  the  Constitution.  He 
recognized  that  what  was  commerce  in  those  days  might 
not  be  commerce  ten  years  hence.  He  recognized  that 
there  were  means  of  transportation,  methods  of  commerce, 
between  the  States  which  were  undreamt  of  by  the  men  of 
his  time,  and  therefore  he  and  those  associates  of  the  court 
with  him,  refused  to  define  what  commerce  is.  In  the  de- 
velopment of  our  country  year  by  year  new  methods  of 
transportation,  new  systems  of  industry  and  extension  of 
our  trade  throughout  the  States  and  into  the  foreign  coun- 
tries, have  necessarily  changed  the  definition  of  the  word 
commerce.  And  therefore  under  that  great  clause  of  the 
Constitution,  the  Federal  Government  has  had  placed  upon 
its  shoulders  obligations  to  the  people  of  this  country  that 
they  have  been  fulfilling  in  these  latter  years. 

We  have  by  no  means  reached  the  limit  of  Federal  au- 
thority in  dealing  with  these  industrial  questions.  And  yet 
when  1  say  that,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  misunderstood.  I  rec- 
ognize very  clearly  that  we  must  always  have  equally  in 
mind  the  division  between  the  state  and  the  nation.  The 
state  within  its  sphere  is  supreme,  and  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment must  not  interfere  with  those  questions  and  those 
matters  that  are  wholly  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State. 
But  the  very  moment  that  industry  oversteps  the  State 
boundaries,  the  very  moment  that  the  conditions  of  trade 
are  such  that  one  single  state  cannot  control  those  activi- 
ties in  any  special  industry,  that  very  moment  it  steps  into 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Federal  Government,  and  then  the 
Federal  Government  has  a  right  to  exercise  its  power  over 
that  industry,  and  in  the  exercise  of  those  powers  it  lies 
within  the  wisdom  of  Congress  to  say  how  far  the  Govern 


FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  AND  MINING.  95 

ment  shall  go,  and  within  the  wisdom  of  the  executive  to 
what  extent  the  powers  granted  by  the  special  acts  of  Con- 
gress shall  be  applied. 

It  is  along  those  lines  of  future  development  that  we 
must  look  for  relief  in  studying  and  in  acting  upon  many 
of  these  problems  that  are  connected  with  the  mining  in- 
dustry. I  for  one  hope  that  Congress  will  determine  that 
it  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  establish  a  mining  bureau.  I 
believe  that  the  time  has  come  when  a  mining  bureau  should 
be  made  a  component  part  of  the  work  of  the  Interior  De- 
partment, and  that  all  the  various  governmental  activities 
that  have  hitherto  had  to  do  with  the  industry  shall  be 
brought  together  under  that  bureau,  to  the  end  that  it  may 
be  a  better  bureau,  a  better  instrument  in  the  hands  of  the 
executive  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  things  which 
you  gentlemen  here  may  determine  to  be  the  right  things  to 
be  carried  out.  (Applause.) 

One  can  already  see  the  tremendous  work  that  lies 
ahead  of  such  a  bureau  in  the  development  of  the  problems 
that  are  now  before  us.  Many  of  the  problems  presented 
in  the  experiments  we  witnessed  today  are  such  that  the 
individual  cannot  afford  to  work  out,  which  not  even  any 
one  State  can  afford  to  do,  but  which  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment can  do  splendidly,  and  can  do  without  any  interfer- 
ence with  any  State  activity  or  with  any  individual  enter- 
prise. It  can  be  done  by  the  kind  of  co-operation  that  has 
been  shown  by  you  here  in  dealing  with  these  problems 
thus  far.  The  whole  work  there  is  first  one  of  study  and 
investigation,  then  of  conference,  and  finally  with  helpful 
suggestions  certain  great  abuses  may  be  corrected,  certain 
steps  in  advance  may  be  taken  and  certain  better  methods 
can  be  used  for  the  conservation  of  our  resources,  and  for 
their  better  daily  use. 

Now  it  has  been  asked  of  me  several  times  whether  in 
this  work  it  is  intended  that  the  Federal  Government 
actively  take  up  the  work  of  inspection  and  interfere  with 
the  local  conditions  in  special  mines.  I  have  always  said 
no;  it  does  not  mean  that,  and  it  ought  not  to  mean  that. 
Those  special  regulations  must  of  necessity  be  adopted  by 


96  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

the  States.  They  come  within  the  police  power  of  the 
States,  but  the  Federal  Government  by  careful  investiga- 
tion of  conditions  in  all  the  States  and  in  foreign  countries 
may  be  able  to  set  a  standard  which  would  be  accepted  as 
the  proper  standard,  and  then  the  various  States  will  one  by 
one  adopt  that  standard,  come  up  to  it,  if  it  is  rightly 
chosen,  and  in  that  way  we  will  have  uniformity  of  regula- 
tion within  the  States  by  co  operation.  But  it  does  not  at 
all  mean  that  the  Federal  Government  will  try  to  reach  out 
its  arms  and  attempt  to  do  the  things  which,  as  I  say,  the 
State  ought  to  do. 

On  the  other  hand  we  must  recognize  this,  that  there 
is  no  force  more  potent  in  our  country  today  than  an  intel- 
ligently aroused  public  opinion.  If  a  great  body  of  men 
such  as  you  here  reach  conclusions  that  are  just  and  right 
for  your  industry,  if  you  announce  those  conclusions  in  the 
form  of  resolutions,  if  those  are  acceptable  to  the  great  mass 
of  the  people  whom  you  represent,  then  public  opinion  is 
crystallized  in  an  intelligent  way,  and  you  may  be  sure 
that  that  form  of  suggestion  will  of  necessity  compel  action 
by  the  various  bodies  from  whom  action  may  be  asked. 
Now  what  is  included  in  the  work  of  a  Federal  bureau  ?  By 
wise  suggestion,  based  upon  the  fullest  consideration  and 
knowledge,  by  conferences  with  men  actively  engaged  in 
any  great  industry,  reports  may  be  made,  suggestions  may 
be  adopted,  that  will  by  the  force  of  their  reasonableness 
compel  either  Congress  to  act,  if  it  be  a  matter  of  Federal 
legislation,  or  the  State  to  act,  if  it  be  a  matter  of  State 
regulation. 

It  is  along  these  lines  that  the  Federal  Government  is 
going  to  work.  We  have  made,  we  know,  many  mistakes. 
Our  work  necessarily  has  been  of  a  tentative  character. 
We  bespeak  from  all  of  you  the  heartiest,  most  sympathetic 
co-operation,  suggestion  and  criticism.  No  public  officer 
should  be  afraid  of  criticism.  We  are  working  in  the  open. 
We  have  nothing  to  conceal.  We  simply  are  trying  to  join 
with  you  in  this  great  industry  in  endeavoring  to  give  its 
workers  and  its  owners  better  opportunities  than  they  have 


FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT  AND  MINING.  97 

ever  had  before  for  the  proper  development  of  the  industry 
itself. 

The  Chairman  advises  me  that  the  time  has  come  when 
I  must  stop.  I  am  sorry;  I  should  like  to  talk  with  you 
further  about  some  other  questions  which  all  of  us  have  in 
mind.  I  thank  you  very  much  for  the  cordial  reception 
you  have  given  me  here  today,  and  I  trust  that  many  of 
you  may  come  to  Washington  next  week  to  take  part  in 
the  conference  for  the  conservation  of  national  resources, 
and  I  shall  look  with  a  great  deal  of  interest  to  the  results 
of  this  conference  here.  (Applause.) 


Problems  of  the  Coal  Mining  Industry. 

BY  DR.   J.   A.   HOLMES,  WASHINGTON,   D.   C. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  This  evening  I 
surprised  one  of  the  ladies  who  have  honored  us  with  their 
presence  here,  by  telling  her  how  much  pleasure  it  gave  me 
to  come  from  a  quiet  residence  city  like  Washington  into 
a  busy,  smoky,  industrial  center  like  Pittsburgh.  I  quali- 
fied that  statement,  she  seemed  so  surprised  at  it,  by  saying 
that  one  of  the  purposes  of  the  investigations  which  we  are 
making  in  Pittsburgh  is  to  get  rid  of  smoke.  (Laughter.) 
But  it  is  industry  itself  that  an  active  man  is  always 
pleased  to  get  close  to  and  into,  especially  when  it  presents 
so  marked  a  contrast  with  the  clear,  quiet  atmosphere  of  a 
residence  city  like  Washington. 

There  is  another  thing  which  we  are  trying  to  do,  not 
only  for  Pittsburgh,  but  also  for  the  country  at  large,  and 
that  is  to  demonstrate  how  to  use  our  mineral  resources 
with  less  waste.  One  of  the  things  which  we  are  trying  to 
do  at  this  testing  station,  where  most  of  you  have  been 
this  afternoon,  is  to  burn  the  low  grade  fuel,  which  in  this 
Pittsburgh  district  and  many  other  parts  of  the  country, 
is  being  left  underground  and  permanently  lost  because, 
it  is  said,  there  is  no  market  for  it.  We  are  going  to  try 
to  help  you  find  a  market  for  this  great  waste  product  of 
coal  which  you  are  now  leaving  in  the  ground,  and  which 
now  approximates  250,000,000  tons  yearly.  However,  the 
main  purpose  for  which  we  are  now  conducting  investigation, 
and  for  which  this  great  meeting  is  being  held,  is  the  pre- 
vention of  mine  accidents.  This  mining  experiment  sta- 
tion located  here  in  Pittsburgh,  as  was  told  you  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  is  the  first  step  which  this  Gov- 
ernment has  taken  to  help  the  man  who  works  in  the 
mines.  For  years  we  have  been  spending  millions  of  dol- 
lars on  investigations  to  help  the  men  who  work  in  the 
sunshine  of  the  farm  in  the  safety  of  the  open  day;  but  we 
have  all  this  time  neglected  the  health  and  safety  of  the 


PROBLEMS  OF  THE  COAL  MINING  INDUSTRY.  99 

million  men  who  work  underground,  in  the  midst  of  its 
darkness  and  in  its  mysteries,  which  they  cannot  solve,  or 
which  none  of  us  have  solved,  and  which  in  our  ignorance 
we  are  now  trying  to  solve. 

I  want  to  say  just  a  word  further  with  regard  to  the 
work  of  this  Pittsburgh  station.  It  has  been  rapidly  in- 
stalled and  developed  during  the  past  six  months,  and  for 
that  I  want  you  to  give  the  credit  to  Mr.  Wilson,  Mr.  Rob- 
erts, Mr.  Rice,  Mr.  Paul  and  others,  who  in  season  and  out 
of  season  for  several  months  have  worked  to  get  this  sta- 
tion ready,  so  that  we  could  begin  the  investigations  that 
we  hope  will  help  the  coal  operators  solve  the  difficult 
problems  involved  in  mine  disasters ;  and  these  are  the  men 
who  deserve  credit  for  that  excellent  exhibition  which  you 
witnessed  at  the  station  this  afternoon. 

With  reference  to  the  future  progress  of  that  work  I 
want  simply  to  ask  the  patience  and  the  indulgence  of  the 
people  who  happen  to  know  about  it.  When  a  great  new 
work  of  that  sort  is  started  the  public  is  apt  to  expect  too 
much.  We  hear  of  these  terrible  mine  accidents,  and  we 
are  all  wondering  whether  they  can  be  prevented,  or  why 
they  cannot  be  prevented.  A  few  days  ago  there  was  one 
of  these  dreadful  accidents  in  Germany,  where  they  have 
been  trying  to  solve  these  problems  for  a  number  of  years. 
While  I  was  in  England  during  the  past  summer  studying 
the  mine  safety  appliances  there,  I  had  the  misfortune  to 
witness  the  most  awful  disaster  in  English  coal  mines  which 
they  have  had  for  many  years.  I  mention  these  things 
not  to  add  to  the  sadness  of  that  great  problem,  but  sim- 
ply, as  I  said  a  moment  ago,  to  caution  you  to  be  patient. 

I  believe  that  every  operator  in  the  United  States  is 
trying  the  best  he  knows  how  to  prevent  another  accident 
from  happening  in  his  mine.  I  believe  that  the  miners 
themselves,  and  the  great  miners'  organization,  the  United 
Mine  Workers  of  America,  will  co-operate  most  heartily 
in  every  effort  which  is  made  to  accomplish  this  great 
purpose. 

And  it  is  a  great  purpose  to  accomplish.  It  is  worthy 
of  the  co-operative  and  combined  effort  which  the  intelli- 


100  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

gence  of  America  can  put  into  it,  because,  as  America 
claims  to  be  leading  in  many  of  the  great  problems  of  civil- 
ization, and  we  are  well  advanced  in  many  of  them — we  are 
far  behind  in  effort  to  save  life ;  and  we  realize  that  it  is  the 
duty  of  this,  the  wealthiest  country  in  the  world,  the  coun- 
try which  we  believe  has  the  best  government  in  the  world, 
through  its  federal  government,  the  state  governments,  the 
mine  operator  and  the  mine  worker  to  do  the  best  that 
can  be  done  to  solve  these  great  problems,  and  to  help  to 
make  the  men  underneath  the  ground  as  safe  as  is  the 
farmer  on  the  surface. 

The  hour  is  too  late  for  me  to  say  more  to  you,  because 
I  know  we  are  all  anxious  to  hear  the  words  which  our 
worthy  president  of  the  Mining  Congress,  Judge  Eichards, 
has  to  say,  and  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  again  at  tomor- 
row 's  meeting  to  speak  to  you  on  this  and  other  subjects; 
while  our  president,  Judge  Eichards,  may  not  be  so  for- 
tunate. 

I  only  want  to  say  this  word  for  the  American  Mining 
Congress.  It  has  had  an  uphill  struggle,  but  the  mining 
men  of  this  country  realize  the  good  work  which  it  is  ac- 
complishing in  their  behalf;  how  it  is  benefiting  the  mining 
industry;  and  is  in  every  way  deserving  their  fullest  sup- 
port and  co-operation.  I  hope  that  everybody  attending 
these  sessions  will  realize  that  it  is  the  one  place  in  this 
country  where  men  connected  with  all  branches  of  mining, 
the  operator,  the  miner  and  the  owner  and  the  well-wishers 
of  mining  may  come  together  on  common  ground,  in  a  good- 
natured  friendly  way  to  discuss  the  problems  for  the  bet- 
terment of  this  great  industry. 


Some  Utah  Mineral  Deposits  and  Their  Metallurgical 
Treatment. 


•  BY  ROBERT  H.   BRADFORD,   PH.  D.,  PROFESSOR  OF  METALLURGY, 
STATE  SCHOOL  OF  MINES,  UNIVERSITY  OF  UTAH. 

In  the  comprehensive  paper  on  the  "Mining  and  Min- 
eral Resources  of  Utah,"  read  at  the  Denver  meeting  of 
this  Congress  two  years  ago  by  our  esteemed  Director  from 
Utah,  Mr.  John  Dern,  the  mining  resources  of  the  state 
were  fully  outlined.  It  will  be  the  aim  of  the  present  paper 
to  give  briefly  the  present  status  of  Utah's  mining  and 
metallurgical  industries,  with  especial  stress  upon  the  de- 
velopments of  the  last  two  years. 

Utah's  Standing  Among  the  States. 

In  the  production  of  the  four  important  metals — lead, 
silver,  gold  and  copper — during  last  year,  1907,  Utah  stood 
third  in  lead,  third  in  silver,  fourth  in  gold,  and  fourth  in 
copper,  among  the  states  of  the  Union,  having  made  a  de- 
cided advance  in  copper  output  over  former  years,  with  an 
advance  also  in  lead  and  silver. 

Her  copper  output  for  1908  will  be  far  in  advance  of 
last  year  with  the  promise  of  greater  increase  for  other 
years  yet  to  come.  The  rapid  development  of  the  mines  of 
Bingham  has  brought  our  state  rapidly  to  the  front  as  a 
copper  producer,  and  further  exploitation  in  this  camp  bids 
fair  to  place  her  in  the  ranks  as  first  instead  of  fourth  in 
copper. 

BINGHAM. 

Mineral  Deposits. 

As  a  preface  to  the  consideration  of  some  of  the  larger 
mines  of  Bingham,  I  quote  from  the  summary  of  the  geology 
of  this  area  in  the  Monograph  on  Bingham  by  the  United 
States  Geological  Survey.  "Between  carboniferous  and  late 
tertiary  time  monzonite  intrusives  invaded  sediments  in  the 
Bingham  area,  metamorphized  them,  and  introduced  me- 
tallic elements  which  replaced  marbleized  limestone  with 
pyritous  copper  sulphides.  After  the  superficial  portions 


102  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

of  the  intrusives  had  cooled  to  at  least  partial  rigidity,  they 
and  the  enclosing  sediments  were  rent  by  persistent  north- 
east-southwest fissures. 

"Heated  aqueous  solutions  from  below  then  ascended, 
producing  alterations,  and  introducing  metallic  minerals. 
Later  the  original  sulphide  ores,  altered  by  surface  waters, 
were  oxidized  in  the  upper  layers,  and  secondarily  enriched 
below  by  changing  to  black  copper  sulphides  with  the  addi- 
tion of  gold  and  silver. " 

As  a  result  of  this  process  of  mineralization  there  is 
found  in  the  camp  three  types  of  deposits,  namely:  (1)  the 
disseminated  ore  of  the  monzonite  laccolith  and  the  con- 
tiguous quartzite;  (2)  the  sulphide  lode  or  vein  ores;  and 
(3)  the  replacement  or  bed  ores  in  limestone.  The  first 
type  is  known  in  the  district  as  " porphyry  ore/'  and  the 
others  as  the  "sulphide  ores,"  since  they  contain  pyrite  or 
iron  sulphide  as  the  predominating  mineral.  Important 
mines  are  now  producing  from  each  of  these  classes  of  ores. 

THE    UTAH    COPPER    COMPANY. 
The  Ore  Deposits. 

This  company  owns  about  200  acres  of  ground  in  the 
heart  of  Bingham,  besides  1,000  acres  near  the  mouth  of 
Bingham  canyon  and  2,400  acres  at  Garfield.  The  ore 
bodies  of  the  property  in  central  Bingham  consist  of  an 
altered  siliceous  porphyry  containing  small  grains  of  cop- 
per minerals,  very  uniformly  disseminated  throughout  the 
mass,  both  in  fracture  seams  and  in  the  body  of  the  rock. 
The  ore  averages  about  2  per  cent  copper,  0.15  of  an  ounce 
silver,  and  0.015  of  an  ounce  of  gold.  The  primary  copper 
mineral  is  chalcopyrite,  but  as  a  result  of  secondary  en- 
richment from  above,  practically  all  of  the  copper  sulphide 
minerals  are  now  present,  the  principal  one  being  chalcocite. 
The  developed  area  covers  72  acres  of  ground,  and  although 
the  thickness  of  the  ore  body  has  not  been  fully  determined, 
yet  existing  developments  show  an  average  depth  of  at  least 
310  feet.  This  area  and  depth  of  ore  figures  up  to  the 
equivalent  of  1,000,000  tons  of  ore  per  acre.  Below  the 
depth  included  in  the  above  estimate  is  a  zone  of  lower 


UTAH   MINERAL  DEPOSITS  AND   THEIR  TREATMENT.      103 

grade  ore  averaging  about  1.5  per  cent  copper  and  contain- 
ing about  40,000,000  tons  of  ore  as  indicated  mainly  by 
diamond  drill  holes. 

Besides  these  72  acres  now  developed  or  partially  de- 
veloped, there  are  88  additional  acres  of  mineralized  por- 
phyry in  the  company's  property  that  is  undeveloped,  al- 
though a  portion  of  this  area  is  known  to  contain  ores  of 
profitable  grades. 

Methods  of  Mining. 

Open  cut  work  with  steam  shovels  is  employed  in  the 
extraction  of  80  per  cent  of  the  tonnage  of  6,000  to  7,000 
tons  of  ore  per  day,  the  remaining  20  per  cent  being  taken 
out  by  the  underground  caving  system.  The  caving  sys- 
tem, although  costing  slightly  less  than  60  cents  a  ton  of 
ore  produced,  is  being  abandoned  wherever  possible  in 
favor  of  steam  shovel  work.  In  great  part  the  benches  of 
ore  need  but  little  shattering  by  blasting,  as  much  of  the 
ore  is  already  loose  enough  for  direct  shovel  work. 

Equipment. 

At  the  mine  the  company  has  in  operation  fifteen  steam 
locomotives,  mostly  of  100,000  pounds  weight;  125  stripping 
dump  cars  of  six  yards  capacity;  two  40,000-pound  electric 
locomotives;  three  smaller  electric  locomotives  and  the 
necessary  cars  for  underground  haulage;  six  steam  shovels; 
about  ten  miles  of  standard  gauge  railway  laid  with  65- 
pound  rails;  a  300  horse-power  compressor  plant;  a  com- 
pletely equipped  machine  shop,  capable  of  handling  and  re- 
pairing the  heavy  locomotives  and  steam  shovel  work,  be- 
sides the  commodious  offices  and  quarters  for  employees. 

About  75  per  cent  of  the  ore  produced  by  the  caving 
system  is  transported  by  the  Copper  Belt  Railroad  to  the 
Utah  Copper  Company's  concentrating  mill  at  Copperton, 
about  three  miles  down  the  canyon.  This  mill  has  a  ca- 
pacity of  900  tons  per  day.  It  was  built  originally  for  the 
purpose  of  developing  the  best  process  of  concentration,  but 
has  been  trebled  in  its  capacity  and  now  is  an  important 
unit  in  the  company's  commercial  mills.  The  Mammoth 


104  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

concentrating  mill  is  located  at  Garfield,  where  the  com- 
pany has  an  abundant  supply  of  water. 

Ore  Concentration. 

The  ore  is  transported  15  miles  northward  by  the  Rio 
Grande  Western  Eailroad  Company  to  the  Garfield  mill  on 
the  shores  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  and  there  concentrated, 
22  tons  of  crude  ore  into  one  ton  of  concentrates.  The  ob- 
ject of  concentration  is  to  get  rid  of  the  silicious  waste  ma- 
terial, which  is  expensive  to  smelt,  and  to  collect  the  values 
into  less  than  5  per  cent  of  the  original  tonnage.  It  is  then 
only  necessary  to  pay  for  the  smelting  of  the  one  ton  of  ore 
instead  of  20;  and  it  costs  a  lower  price  per  ton  for  it  also, 
because  of  its  higher  iron  content,  than  for  the  original  mon- 
zonite  rock  with  its  high  percentage  of  silica. 

The  process  of  concentration  consists  in  crushing  all 
the  ore  fine  enough  to  sever  the  valuable  minerals  from  the 
waste  particles.  With  this  ore  it  is  necessary  to  crush 
everything  to  40  mesh  before  the  separation  of  the  heavy 
valuable  particles  from  the  light  waste  material  is  com- 
menced. Concentration  is  carried  on  with  jigs,  shaking- 
tables  and  vanners,  and  the  concentrates  average  28  per  cent 
copper,  15  per  cent  iron  and  30  per  cent  silica,  a  very  desir- 
able smelting  mixture.  The  losses  in  concentration,  occa- 
sioned in  great  part  by  sliming,  caused  by  the  fine  grinding 
through  which  all  the  ore  is  carried,  are  considerable, 
amounting  to  25  to  30  per  cent  of  the  total  copper.  But 
since,  under  the  present  smelting  conditions,  the  crude  ore 
could  not  be  smelted  direct,  concentration  even  with  its  at- 
tendant losses  is  absolutely  necessary. 

Smelting  the  Concentrates. 

The  concentrates  from  the  monzonite  ore  form  a  very 
desirable  smelting  mixture.  It  may  be  smelted  direct  in 
the  reverberatory  furnace  or  roasted  preliminary  to  smelt- 
ing. The  fine  concentrates  containing  high  sulphur  values 
are  roasted  in  pot  furnaces  or  in  mechanically  rabbled  fur- 
naces for  the  partial  elimination  of  the  sulphur.  If  the  pot 
furnace  is  used  the  roasted  product  is  in  a  sintered  but 
porus  condition,  and  hence  in  good  condition  for  the  copper 


UTAH   MINERAL   DEPOSITS  AND   THEIR   TREATMENT.      105 

blast  furnace.  Matte  and  slag  are  run  from  the  blast  fur- 
nace continually  and  these  separate  from  each  other  by 
gravity  in  a  large  settler.  The  slag  with  less  than  .5  per 
cent  copper  is  discarded,  and  the  matter  is  further  treated  to 
obtain  metallic  copper.  When  the  fine  ore  is  roasted  in  the 
mechanically  rabbled  furnace  (the  McDougal)  and  taken 
out  in  a  loose  powdery  condition,  the  reverberatory  furnace 
is  employed  to  smelt  the  roasted  material.  Furnaces  with 
upwards  of  2,000  square  feet  hearth  area  are  employed  at 
the  Garfield  Smelter  on  this  fine,  powdery  material,  and  350 
tons  of  this  roasted  ore  are  run  through  each  furnace  each  24 
hours.  The  products  of  the  reverberatory  furnaces,  like  the 
products  of  the  blast  furnaces,  are  slag  and  copper-iron 
matte. 

The  slag  from  both  kinds  of  furnaces  is  run  into  large 
pots  arranged  on  trucks,  and  transferred  by  locomotive  on 
tracks  to  the  slag  dump,  where  it  is  run  out  in  a  molten  state 
as  waste. 

The  matte  from  the  settler  of  the  blast  furnace  or  from 
the  reverberatory  furnace  is  run  into  ladles  of  10  tons  ca- 
pacity, operated  by  electric  traveling  cranes,  which  span 
the  converter  house.  At  the  Garfield  works  there  are  two 
such  cranes,  each  of  60  tons  capacity,  which  run  the  full 
length  of  the  converter  building.  The  ladles  of  molten  matte 
are  quickly  carried  to  the  converter  and  the  contents  poured 
in  and  the  ladle  returned  for  more  matte.  When  the  con- 
verter has  received  its  charge  of  ten  tons  the  air  under  a 
pressure  of  12  pounds  is  turned  on  and  the  shell  is  tilted 
back  to  position.  When  the  blow  begins  there  is  rapid  oxi- 
dation of  iron  and  sulphur.  The  iron  having  the  stronger 
affinity  for  oxygen  is  finally  all  oxidized,  forming  with  the 
siliceous  converter  lining  an  iron  silicate  slag.  The  slag  is 
then  skimmed  and  the  remaining  copper  sulphide,  after  be- 
ing replenished  by  the  addition  of  molten  sulphide  of  the 
same  copper  content  from  other  converters,  is  again  blown, 
to  oxidize  the  remaining  sulphur  and  produce  metallic  cop- 
per; 98  per  cent  pure,  known  as  blister  copper,  carrying 
the  gold  and  silver  that  were  in  the  original  ore.  The  bars 


106  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

of  copper  bullion  cast  from  the  converter  are  24  inches  long- 
by  18  inches  wide  by  2  inches  thick  and  weigh  300  pounds. 
The  rnetal  is  shipped  away  to  the  refineries  in  this 
crude  condition.  As  the  centers  of  consumption  of  the  re- 
fined products  are  at  a  great  distance  from  the  smelting 
plant,  and  as  the  costs  of  transportation  of  the  refined 
metals  is  much  greater  than  that  for  crude  bullion,  no  ef- 
fort is  made  at  refining  the  bullion  in  Utah. 

THE  BOSTON  CONSOLIDATED. 

The  Porphyry  Mine. 

Adjoining  the  Utah  Copper  mine  on  the  south  is  the 
Boston  Consolidated.  The  porphyry  mine  of  this  company 
covers  about  156  acres  of  territory.  A  large  portion  of  this 
area  is  underlaid  by  mineralized  inonzonite  porphyry,  simi- 
lar to  the  Utah  Copper  ore,  but  running  slightly  lower  in 
copper  content.  This  ore  is  estimated  by  the  company's 
engineers  to  average  about  1.5  per  cent  copper.  The  cap- 
ping, or  over-burden,  to  be  removed  in  order  to  mine  the  de- 
posit by  steam  shovel,  is  about  100  feet  in  thickness.  The 
profitable  ore  over  this  area  as  indicated  by  extensive  sam- 
pling and  assaying,  is  about  300  feet  deep.  Very  extensive 
equipment  employed  for  stripping  and  disposal' of  the  cap- 
ping and  for  the  mining  of  ore  for  the  concentrating  mill 
has  been  in  operation  for  three  years.  This  equipment  is 
said  to  be  ample  for  handling  15,000  tons  of  rock  daily. 

The  Boston  Consolidated 's  concentrating  mill  is  located 
at  Garfield,  15  miles  air  line  or  27  miles  by  railroad  to  the 
north.  When  all  the  units  that  are  now  commenced  are  in 
commission  the  mill  will  have  a  capacity  of  3,000  tons  of 
porphyry  ore  per  day.  At  present  but  eight  units  are  in 
operation.  The  concentrates  are  somewhat  lower  in  copper 
and  higher  in  iron  than  those  from  the  adjoining  property. 
They  make  a  very  desirable  smelting  material  and  are  con- 
tracted for  by  the  Garfield  smelter  on  very  favorable  terms. 

Besides  the  porphyry  mine  this  company  operates  an 
extensive  sulphide  mine,  covering  103  acres  of  the  lime- 
stone belt.  The  ore,  carrying  a  high  percentage  of  iron 


UTAH   MINERAL  DEPOSITS  AND   THEIR  TREATMENT.      107 

pyrite,  is  not  susceptible  to  concentration,  but  is  sold  to  the 
smelter.  The  mine  is  fully  equipped  for  the  production  of 
750  to  1,000  tons  of  ore  per  day  by  square  set  stoping. 

THE  OHIO  COPPER  COMPANY. 

Disseminated  Quartzite. 

This  property  adjoins  the  Utah  Copper  on  the  east  and 
the  Boston  Consolidated  on  the  north,  and  covers  an  area 
of  120  acres.  The  ore  is  quartzite,  mineralized  with  copper 
and  iron  sulphides.  The  quartzite  merges  into  the  lacco- 
lithic  mass  of  monzonite  porphyry  of  the  two  adjoining 
properties.  The  ore  is  much  shattered  and  broken.  Dis- 
seminated throughout  the  shattered  rock,  and  especially 
along  the  cleavage  planes  is  the  copper  ore  in  the  form  of 
a  clean  chalcocite,  associated  with  chalcopyrite  and  pyrite. 
Many  crevices  in  the  shattered  quartzite  have  been  filled  by 
the  metalliferous  minerals  forming  stringers  and  veinlets  of 
rich  copper  sulphide. 

Larger  fissure  veins  traverse  the  deposit  and  these  con- 
tain much  ore  of  higher  copper  content,  due  to  secondary 
enrichment.  In  these  veins,  along  with  the  predominant 
chalcocite,  there  is  found  much  red  oxide  as  well  as  some 
metallic  copper. 

From  careful  and  conservative  calculation  of  ore  re- 
serves there  is  estimated  to  be  18,500,000  tons  of  ore  in  the 
mine  above  the  present  transportation  tunnel.  The  average 
copper  content  of  the  ore,  as  obtained  from  abundant  sam- 
pling, is  1.6  to  1.75  per  cent  copper,  with  some  10  cents  in 
gold  and  3  cents  in  silver  per  ton. 

The  concentration  of  this  ore  is  a  simple  matter,  as  the 
copper  minerals  are  not  so  finely  disseminated  through  the 
rock  as  they  are  in  the  porphyry  of  the  neighboring  prop 
erties.  The  absence  of  any  clay  or  talcy  decomposition 
products  of  the  rock  make;' this  quartzite  an  exceedingly 
favorable  ore  for  concentrating.  The  mill  tests  have  given 
an  extraction  of  75  to  80  per  cent  of  the  values. 

A  concentrating  plant  of  2,400  tons  per  day  capacity 
is  now  built  at  Lark,  three  miles  to  the  east,  for  treating 


168  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

this  quartzite.  The  main  features  of  difference  between 
this  plant  and  those  of  Utah  Cppper  and  Boston  Consoli- 
dated plants  are  due  to  the  difference  in  the  ores.  This 
mill  will  crush  all  ore  to  12  mesh  only,  and  will  make  its 
principal  savings  with  the  copper  minerals  in  larger  pieces, 
using  jigs  and  shaking  tables,  but  no  vanners.  It  has,  how- 
ever, provided  a  slime  plant,  with  settling  tanks,  slime 
tables  and  buddies.  The  ore  is  extracted  by  the  caving 
system  and  dropped  through  winzes  to  the  ore  bins,  400 
feet  long,  built  1,000  feet  underground,  just  above  the  trans- 
portation tunnel,  which  reaches  the  property  1,000  feet  be- 
low the  bottom  of  the  Bingham  canyon.  This  tunnel  runs 
eastward  13,000  feet  to  daylight  on  the  east  base  of  the 
Oquirrh  mountains,  where  the  concentrating  mill  is  located. 
The  ore  is  transported  at  a  cost  of  15  cents  per  ton,  mined 
for  50  cents  and  concentrated  for  50  cents  per  ton.  With 
copper  at  15  cents,  the  net  income  per  day  on  2,400  tons  of 
ore  is  estimated  at  $3,864,  or  an  income  of  $1,400,000  per 
year. 

The  company  has  built  the  present  mill  with  the  idea 
of  enlarging  its  capacity  to  4,000  tons  per  day  in  the  future. 

THE   UTAH   CONSOLIDATED. 

The  Highland  Boy  mine  of  the  Utah  Consolidated  Com- 
pany was  one  of  the  early  producers  of  the  high  grade  sul- 
phide ores.  The  ores  of  this  company  were  smelted  for  a 
number  of  years  at  their  own  smelter  at  Murray,  Salt  Lake 
county.  The  ore  averaged  high  in  copper  and  the  output 
of  the  smelter  in  copper  bullion  was  large  for  the  ore  ton- 
nage treated.  The  high  grade  ore  and  the  favorable  con- 
ditions of  mining  and  smelting  were  indicated  by  the  divi- 
dends disbursed.  These  amounted  to  more  than  one  million 
dollars  per  year.  Since  the  closing  of  the  Murray  plant  by 
the  injunction  by  the  farmers  of  the  valley,  the  ore  has  been 
treated  by  the  American  Smelting  and  Eefining  Company's 
plant  at  Garfield. 

The  Utah  Consolidated  has  let  a  contract  for  smelting 
its  ore  for  the  next  ten  years  to  a  private  party,  who  will 


UTAH   MINERAL  DEPOSITS  AND   THEIR  TREATMENT.      109 

immediately  begin  operations  of  building  a  modern  copper 
smelter  at  Pine  Canyon,  just  over  the  Oquirrh  range  to  the 
west,  in  Tooele  county.  The  smelter  is  to  be  ready  to  treat 
the  ores  of  the  company  by  April,  1910.  The  mining  com- 
pany, in  the  meantime,  will  construct  an  aerial  tramway 
from  the  mine  over  the  mountain  range  and  down  Pine 
canyon  to  the  smelter,  a  distance  of  six  miles.  Eight  hun- 
dred to  1,000  tons  of  ore  per  day  will  be  transported  from 
the  mine  over  this  aerial  tramway  when  completed. 

THE  YAMPA  MINE  AND  SMELTER. 

One  of  the  large  producers  of  the  sulphide  ores  of  Bing- 
ham  is  the  Yampa  mine.  The  ore  is  practically  self-flux- 
ing with  the  exception  of  needing  a  small  amount  of  lime- 
stone. The  mine  is  now  putting  out  a  tonnage  of  700  to  800 
tons  of  ore  per  day,  which  is  transported  about  one  and  one- 
half  miles  to  the  Yampa  smelter,  in  Bingham  canyon,  the 
cost  of  transportation  being  7  cents  per  ton. 

The  smelter  treats  the  total  tonnage  of  the  mine,  be- 
sides about  200  tons  daily  of  custom  ore.  The  furnaces  of 
the  plant  consists  of  nine  McDougal  roasters,  three  rever- 
beratory  furnaces,  two  having  dimensions  of  17  feet  by  55 
feet,  and  one  17  feet  by  45  feet;  three  blast  furnaces,  two 
42  by  160  inches  and  one  42  by  184  inches;  two  converter 
stands,  with  six  converter  shells  of  84  by  136  inches  di- 
mensions. The  production  of  metallic  copper  by  the  Yampa 
smelter  with  its  present  capacity  is  slightly  over  10,000,000 
pounds  per  year. 

THE  UNITED  STATES  PROPERTIES. 

The  extensive  properties  of  Bingham  canyon  owned  by 
the  United  States  Mining  Company  are  producing  a  large 
output  that  is  all  smelted  at  the  United  States  smelter  at 
Bingham  Junction,  in  Salt  Lake  county.  Their  ores  are 
transported  by  aerial  tramway  to  the  Eio  Grande  Western 
Railroad  cars  at  the  Bingham  terminus  and  then  hauled  to 
the  smelter,  12  miles  away. 

The  properties  described  are  the  most  important  in 
Bingham  from  the  standpoint  of  present  development. 


110  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Nevertheless,  there  are  many  other  important  producers  of 
copper  as  well  as  of  lead  ore  in  the  West  Mountain  dis- 
trict, in  which  Bingham  is  situated. 

THE  TINTIC  DISTRICT. 

Tintic  has  achieved  and  still  holds  the  enviable  dis- 
tinction of  having  more  dividend  paying  mines  than  any 
other  district  in  Utah.  Eighteen  of  her  mines  are  credited 
with  having  paid  dividends  of  $17,000,000.  The  exact  fig- 
ures of  bread  money  distributed  are  hard  to  ascertain,  as 
many  of  the  mines  have  been  operated  by  individuals  and 
close  corporations,  concerning  whose  income  the  public  has 
learned  little  or  nothing. 

The  Centennial  Eureka,  one  of  the  richest  mines  of  the 
United  States  Smelting,  Refining  and  Mining  Company,  has 
of  late  years  been  the  heaviest  shipper.  The  Bullion  Beck, 
one  of  the  oldest  producers  of  the  district,  has  recently  gone 
into  the  hands  of  the  United  States  Company,  and  will  be 
exploited  even  more  actively  in  the  future.  The  Eureka 
Hill  leasers  have  been  very  active  during  recent  years  and 
have  produced  large  quantities  of  good  grade  ore.  The 
Mammoth  and  Grand  Central  seem  to  show  no  limit  to  the 
depth  at  which  they  obtain  very  profitable  ore. 

East  Tintic,  around  Godiva  mountain,  has  shown  great- 
est activity  during  the  last  two  years.  The  May  Day  and 
Uncle  Sam  have  both  benefited  by  the  union  they  effected 
during  1907.  During  1908  there  have  already  been  paid 
out  by  these  companies  near  $150,000  in  dividends.  The 
Knight  properties,  consisting  in  the  main  of  the  Colorado, 
Beck  Tunnel,  Black  Jack,  Crown  Point  and  Iron  Blossom, 
controlled  by  Mr.  Jesse  Knight  of  Provo,  Utah,  have  made 
a  phenomenal  record  since  their  exploitation  commenced 
some  three  years  ago.  The  Colorado  has  taken  the  lead  by 
producing  nearly  a  million  dollars '  worth  of  ore  in  1907 
and  paying  an  aggregate  of  nearly  $800,000  in  dividends 
during  that  year.  Her  ore  averages  from  $75  to  $10)3  per 
ton  in  lead,  silver  and  gold.  The  Beck  Tunnel  has  been  a 
close  follower  with  ore  values  averaging  somewhat  less,  but 
with  a  total  dividend  record  near  the  $700,000  mark,  but 


UTAH   MINERAL  DEPOSITS  AND   THEIR  TREATMENT.      Ill 

distributed  over  a  considerably  longer  period  of  time.  As 
evidenced  by  the  miniature  dumps  at  the  shafts  of  these 
two  mines,  there  has  been  very  little  dead  work.  Practi- 
cally everything  taken  out  has  been  shipping  ore.  This 
lime  formation  of  East  Tintic  has  responded  so  abundantly 
to  the  efforts  of  the  miner  that  now  a  circle  of  dividend 
paying  mines  is  found  around  Godiva  mountain,  including 
the  above  mentioned  properties,  the  Yankee  Consolidated, 
the  Gemini,  the  Giroux  Consolidated  and  some  others. 

Tintic  suffered  considerably  by  the  closing  down  of 
the  Salt  Lake  county  smelters  and  a  consequent  cutting  off 
of  the  market  for  her  ores.  At  present,  since  an  amicable 
agreement  between  the  farmers  and  the  lead  smelters  has 
been  entered  into,  relief  has  been  furnished.  Mr.  Jesse 
Knight  and  his  associates  have  organized  the  Tintic  Smelt- 
ing Company  and  have  started  up,  during  the  present  year, 
a  lead  smelter  of  350  tons  capacity.  This  plant  is  located 
right  in  Tintic  and  furnishes  a  ready  outlet  for  the  products 
of  many  of  the  nearby  mines. 

PARK  CITY. 

Owing  to  the  recent  very  unfavorable  metal  market 
this  lead  and  silver  camp  for  the  first  half  of  the  present 
year  marketed  practically  no  ore.  But  during  this  period 
much  development  work  was  done,  which  opened  up  ore 
bodies  that  make  it  possible  for  some  of  the  largest  com- 
panies to  ship,  when  metal  prices  improve,  even  better  ore 
and  larger  tonnage  than  ever  before.  Little  stir  is  made  as 
the  development  opens  up  new  bonanzas,  but  that  such  are 
opened  up  is  always  shown  as  the  metal  market  warrants 
big  tonnages.  The  persistence  of  the  rich  ore  in  the  Park 
City  mines  as  depth  increases  makes  it  important  to  pro- 
vide proper  drainage.  The  Ontario  drain  tunnel,  three  miles 
long,  was  constructed  for  this  purpose. 

The  caving  in  of  this  drain  tunnel  a  few  years  ago 
caused  the  lower  levels  of  some  of  the  large  mines  to  be- 
come flooded.  By  intelligent  and  untiring  effort  this  tun- 
nel has,  during  the  last  year,  been  again  opened.  It  has 
also  been  extended  back  under  the  Daly  and  Daly  West 


112  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

mines.  The  tunnel  will  cut  the  Daly  West  shaft  at  the  2,100- 
foot  level,  giving  this  mine  600  feet  additional  vertical 
depth.  The  Daly  West  main  shaft  is  being  deepened  to 
meet  the  tunnel  and  is  now  near  the  1,700-foot  level. 

The  Silver  King  mine  has  made  important  strikes  of 
high  grade  ore  during  recent  developments  that  put  it  in 
possibly  better  condition  than  ever  before.  It,  with  the 
Daly  Judge  and  Daly  West,  is  shipping  fair  tonnage  at 
present. 

The  new  developments  of  the  Park  City  district  have 
been  made  recently  in  Thaynes  canyon,  toward  Brighton. 
Prospects  that  are  showing  great  activity  there  are  the 
Copper  Apex,  Keystone,  Uintah  Treasure  Hill,  New  York, 
Wabash  and  Silver  King  Consolidated. 

MERCUR. 

Utah's  famous  gold  producer,  the  Consolidated  Mercur 
Gold  Mines  Company,  is  the  leading  gold  producer  in  the 
state.  During  the  past  fifteen  years  there  have  been  many 
millions  in  gold  produced  by  the  properties  of  this  com- 
pany. The 'total  dividends  to  date  paid  by  the  present  com- 
pany and  by  the  old  De  La  Mar  and  Mercur  Companies  run 
up  to  the  handsome  sum  of  $3,385,312.97.  This  amount 
shows  the  success  that  has  attended  the  persistent  efforts 
of  Mr.  John  Dern  and  his  associates. 

The  ore  was  early  known  to  contain  gold,  although 
the  prospector  was  unable  to  even  get  colors  by  the  use  of 
the  gold  pan,  and  the  prospector  often  had  difficulty  in  in- 
teresting the  investor  in  the  properties  of  the  camp  because 
no  gold  showed  up  in  the  pan.  Mr.  Dern  and  his  associates 
from  Nebraska  took  hold  of  much  of  this  ground,  but  found 
great  difficulty  in  extracting  the  gold  values.  The  ore  re- 
fused to  give  up  its  wealth  by  any  metallurgical  methods, 
although  the  owners  systematically  and  persistently  ex- 
perimented with  all  the  commercial  methods  of  extraction 
then  known.  At  that  time  the  cyanide  process  was  just  be- 
ing developed  and  the  Mercur  operators  quickly  took  up 
with  this  new  process  and  had  their  ore  carefully  tested. 
The  results  showed  but  meager  success  at  first.  The  oxi- 


UTAH   MINERAL  DEPOSITS  AND   THEIR  TREATMENT.      113 

dized  ore  gave  fair  extraction,  but  much  of  their  higher 
grade  sulphide  ores  gave  little  promise  of  ever  responding. 
By  careful  work  with  the  roasting  furnace,  under  the  effi- 
cient direction  of  Mr.  D.  C.  Jackling,  now  general  manager 
of  the  Utah  Copper  Company,  the  sulphide  and  arsenide 
ores  were  brought  into  a  condition  for  effective  cyaniding. 
Still  another  difficulty  remained  to  be  solved.  The  slimes 
were  large  in  amount  and  no  method  for  successfully  treat- 
ing them  had  been  perfected.  This  problem  the  present 
owners  have  solved,  and  the  tailings  of  sands  and  slimes 
now  carry  over  the  dump  but  slightly  over  50  cents  in  gold 
per  ton.  The  Consolidated  Mercur  mill  has  a  capacity  of 
800  tons  per  day,  and  the  Holderman  Filter  Tank  Company 
is  now  operating  by  sliming  and  vacuum  filtering  at  a  daily 
tonnage  of  200  tons  on  the  Manning  dump  of  the  early 
Mercur  tailings. 

The  Boston-Sunshine  Gold  Mining  Company  have  re- 
constructed the  mill  of  the  old  Sunshine  mine  of  Mercur 
and  are  adding  much  new  equipment  preparatory  to  cyan- 
iding the  very  clayey  refractory  ores  of  the  once  famous 
Sunshine  mine.  The  mill  will  have  a  capacity  of  200  tons 
per  day  and  will  be  put  into  commission  during  the  coming 
month  of  January. 

OTHER  IMPORTANT  MINING  DISTRICTS. 

Time  will  not  permit  of  more  than  passing  mention  of 
other  important  mining  districts  of  the  state.  Alta,  Big 
Cottonwood,  American  Fork,  Deep  Creek,  Beaver  County, 
Kimberley,  Park  Valley,  Gold  Springs  and  others  have  pro- 
duced much  ore  to  increase  the  yearly  output  of  the  state. 

NONMETALLIC  MINERALS. 

Salt. 

The  waters  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  are  furnishing  year- 
ly about  40,000  tons  of  salt,  supplying  most  of  the  states 
west  of  the  Missouri  river.  The  saturated  brine  of  this 
great  body  of  salt  water  contains  an  almost  unlimited  sup- 
ply of  this  mineral,  so  essential  to  human  life. 

There  has  recently  been  explored  a  most  important 


114  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

salt  deposit  in  the  form  of  an  immense  salt  bed  in  the  Great 
American  desert,  about  110  miles  west  of  Salt  Lake  City 
and  15  miles  east  of  the  Utah-Nevada  state  line.  The 
Western  Pacific  Railroad  has  built  its  track  directly 
through  these  beds.  This  salt  covers  an  area  of  60  square 
miles.  The  deposit  varies  in  depth  from  six  inches  to  seven 
feet  or  more,  in  places  where  poles  were  set.  It  is  almost 
perfectly  white  and  absolutely  free  from  dirt,  rubbish  or 
growth  of  any  nature.  Providing  the  deposit  only  averages 
one  foot  thick,  the  amount  of  salt  to  the  square  mile  will 
amount  to  more  than  one  million  tons,  or  sixty  millions  of 
tons  in  the  whole  deposit. 

The  United  States  Congress,  by  the  provisions  of  the 
Enabling  Act  for  Utah,  gave  to  the  University  of  Utah 
all  saline  lands  of  the  state.  Notwithstanding  this  fact, 
prospectors  have  staked  out  their  claims  over  the  deposit 
and  are  contesting  their  rights  in  the  courts.  The  Supreme 
Court  of  Utah,  during  the  past  week,  gave  its  decision  in 
favor  of  the  State  University,  but  the  case  may  not  be 
finally  disposed  of  until  the  United  States  Supreme  Court 
gives  its  decision.  With  this  immense  deposit  of  pure  min- 
eral as  an  asset  the  University  will  be  well  provided  for. 

Coal 

There  are  four  extensive  coal  fields  being  operated  at 
present  in  the  state  of  Utah.  These  include  the  Book  Cliffs, 
the  Weber  Eiver,  the  San  Pete  and  the  Iron  County  fields. 
The  Utah  Fuel  Company,  operating  all  the  mines  of  the 
Book  Cliffs  field,  produced  in  1907  near  2,000,000  tons  of 
coal.  Their  product  is  of  excellent  quality,  remarkably 
homogeneous,  with  low  ash  and  sulphur  content.  The  coal 
from  the  Sunnyside  mine  burns  to  a  superior  grade  coke, 
which  is  used  in  large  quantities  by  the  large  smelting 
plants  of  the  state. 

Hydrocarbons. 

The  asphalt  deposits  of  Eastern  Utah  are  world  fa- 
mous for  their  extent  and  purity.  The  principal  minerals 
consist  of  uintahite,  wurtzilite,  elaterite,  ozocerite  and 


THE 

UNIVERSfTY 

.L  DEPOSITS  AND   THEIR   TREATMENT.      115 

maltha,  besides  a  variety  of  asphaltic  limestones,  sandstones 
and  shales.  Uintahite,  or  the  gilsonite  of  commerce,  is  the 
most  important.  It  occurs  in  true  veins,  cutting  the  sedi- 
mentary rocks  of  the  region.  In  extent  and  purity  these 
deposits  far  surpass  any  other  recorded  occurrence. 

The  limitations  of  the  present  paper  will  allow  of  but 
passing  mention  of  other  mineral  deposits  of  great  promise 
in  the  state.  These  include  deposits  of  fire  clay,  gypsum, 
phosphate  rock,  sulphur,  antimony,  limestone,  cement  rock, 
petroleum,  building  and  ornamental  stone,  uranium,  van- 
adium and  radium  minerals  that  up  to  date  have  been  but 
partially  developed. 

Iron  Ore.- 

But  a  description,  though  brief,  of  Utah's  mineral  de- 
posits would  be  incomplete  without  mention  of  her  enor- 
mous iron  ore  deposits.  One  out  of  a  number  of  occur- 
rences will  be  referred  to.  The  deposit  in  Iron  county,  in 
Southern  Utah,  occurs  as  a  mountain  of  ore,  15  miles  long 
by  three  miles  wide.  Hundreds  of  acres  of  this  mountain 
of  ore  will  require  no  stripping,  and  in  greater  part  will 
respond  readily  to  the  steam  shovel.  Analyses  of  numerous 
samples  by  United  States  Geological  Survey  officials  show 
averages  of  from  59  to  65  per  cent  metallic  iron. 

SALT  LAKE  CITY  AS  A  SMELTING  CENTER. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  at  present  the  most  important  smelt- 
ing center  in  the  world.  The  tremendous  ore  supply  of 
the  three  great  mining  camps  so  near  at  hand,  namely, 
Bingham,  Park  City  and  Tintic,  giving  a  combination  of 
easily  smelted  mixtures,  and  the  unlimited  confidence  in 
the  continuance  of  the  supply,  has  justified  the  building 
of  exceedingly  large  smelting  plants  in  Salt  Lake  valley. 
The  favorable  position  of  Salt  Lake  as  a  railroad  center 
enables  the  smelters  to  draw  large  supplies  of  ore  from  all 
parts  of  Utah,  from  Idaho  and  Nevada  and  even  from  Cal- 
ifornia. 

With  the  galena  and  lead  carbonate  ores  from  Park 
City,  Tintic,  the  Cottonwoods,  from  Idaho  and  Nevada; 


116  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

the  copper  iron  sulphides  of  Bingham  and  Beaver  county; 
the  siliceous  copper,  gold  and  silver  ores  of  Tintic  and 
scattered  camps,  and  from  Nevada,  the  ore  supply  is  more 
diversified  than  anywhere  else  in  the  United  States.  Large 
custom  copper  smelters  and  lead  smelters,  with  their  com- 
petition for  custom  work,  have  brought  very  favorable 
smelting  rates  to  the  ore  producer.  Nowhere  else  in  this 
country  can  the  producer  dispose  of  his  ores  at  so  favor- 
able figures. 

The  smelters  now  in  operation,  with  their  capacities, 

are  as  follows: 

Tons  Daily 

Murray  Plant,  American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company,  .lead  1,500 
Garfield  Plant,  American  Smelting  and  Refining  Company  .copper  3,000 
United  States  Smelting  Company,  Bingham  Junction ...  .copper  1,500 

United  States  Smelting  Company,  Bingham  Junction lead   1,000 

Yampa  Smelter,   Bingham  Canyon copper   1,000 

Utah  Smelting  Company,  Ogden .copper      250 

Tintic  Smelting  Company,  Tintic lead       350 

Tintic  Smelting  Company,  Tintic copper      150 


Total  Capacity  Daily 8,750 

SMELTER  SMOKE. 

The  decision  of  United  States  District  Judge  Marshall 
in  favor  of  the  farmers  of  Salt  Lake  county  against  the 
smelters  of  Murray  and  Bingham  Junction,  whereby  the 
smelters  were  not  allowed  to  smelt  or  roast  any  ore  con- 
taining over  10  per  cent  sulphur,  seemed  a  severe  blow  to 
the  smelters.  The  decision  did  not  affect  the  plants  at 
Garfield  or  Bingham  canyon.  Two  of  the  smelter  com- 
panies abondoned  their  plants.  These  were  the  Highland 
Boy  and  Bingham  Consolidated  copper  smelters.  The  for- 
mer immediately  took  options  on  land  about  20  miles  west, 
just  over  the  Oquirrh  mountains,  in  Tooele  county,  and 
the  latter  negotiated  for  land  somewhat  farther  west. 

The  American  Smelting  and  Eefining  Company  came 
to  an  agreement  with  the  farmers,  whereby  they  would 
remain  at  Murray,  by  installing  a  bag  house  to  filter  all 
solids  from  their  smoke,  and  by  instituting  some  minor 
changes. 

The  United  States  Smelting  Company,  as  a  result  of 
untiring  experiments  with  its  smoke  to  determine  a  method 


UTAH   MINERAL  DEPOSITS  AND   THEIR  TREATMENT.      117 

of  abating  the  nuisance,  apparently  succeeded,  and  now 
are  able  to  run  all  the  smoke,  not  only  from  their  lead  fur- 
naces, but  also  from  their  copper  furnaces,  through  bags, 
and  collect  all  solid  particles.  As  a  result  of  this  success 
they  have  been  given  opportunity  to  resume  their  entire 
plant  and  continue  so  long  as  no  bad  effects  are  suffered 
by  the  farms.  The  company  seems  to  have  perfect  confi- 
dence that  they  shall  be  able  to  go  on  in  the  future  undis- 
turbed, for  they  are  remodeling  their  plant  and  increasing 
the  capacity  of  their  bag  house  at  a  very  great  expense. 
It  is  anticipated  that  no  further  trouble  will  ensue  between 
smelter  and  farmer. 

Utah's  Steady  Advance. 

Utah's  prominence  as  a  mining  state  has  been  gained 
gradually  as  a  result  of  the  extensive  development  of  enor- 
mous medium  and  low  grade  deposits.  There  have  been  no 
spasmodic  and  temporary  gains  in  her  metallic  output, 
neither  have  there  been  serious  losses,  as  the  years  of  pros- 
perity or  adversity  in  mining  arrived.  No  decline  in  lead 
and  silver  or  slump  in  copper  has  caused  collapse.  Her  ad- 
vance has  been  rapid  but  regular.  The  prospects  are 
brighter  now  for  increased  output  in  future  years  than 
they  ever  were  before. 

The  dividends  from  her  mines  and  smelters  indicate 
the  substantial  nature  of  these  industries.  For  1907  the 
reported  dividends  amounted  to  more  than  $5,000,000,  and 
this  was  no  exception,  as  the  bread  money  distributed  for 
a  number  of  years  has  hovered  around  this  flattering  figure. 

Security  of  Investments  in  Utah. 

There  have  been  fewer  labor  troubles  in  Utah  than  in 
any  mining  state  in  the  West.  Seldom  have  the  mining 
and  metallurgical  operations  in  the  state  been  interfered 
with  by  conflicts  between  capital  and  labor.  The  sentiment 
of  the  people  of  Utah  is  against  strikes  and  lockouts.  Lab- 
orers have  never  demanded  exorbitant  wages.  Mine  and 
smelter  managers  have  acceded  to  the  request  for  increased 
pay  during  especially  prosperous  years,  and  the  workmen 


118  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

have  allowed  this  increase  to  be  taken  off  at  times  of  de- 
pression. Capitalists  are  now  appreciating  this  favorable 
relation  between  capital  and  labor  in  Utah,  and  are  show- 
ing a  preference  for  our  state  as  a  place  to  invest  their 
money. 


Mining  and  the  Mineral  Resources  of  Arizona. 


BY  COLONEL  FRANK  COX,  PHOENIX,  ARIZONA. 

To  every  bar  of  precious  metal  produced,  not  only  in 
Arizona,  but  in  any  mining  region,  there  is  a  personal  his- 
tory attached.  From  the  ambitions  and  hopes  of  the  sturdy 
prospector,  down  to  the  calculations  of  the  largest  mining 
operator,  is  the  story  woven.  Interesting  as  these  stories 
are,  however,  and  much  as  we  owe  to  the  men  that  broke 
the  ground,  individual  mention  of  them  must  be  here 
omitted.  But,  though  even  the  names  of  the  men  have 
been  forgotten,  we  do  not  forget  the  fact  that  it  was  the 
brave,  the  stout-hearted  pioneers  that  made  possible  such 
mines  as  the  Detroit  and  the  Arizona,  the  United  Verde  and 
the  Copper  Queen — mines  known  all  over  the  civilized 
world — mines  without  which  we  could  not  make  our  proud 
boast  that,  with  her  yearly  output  of  something  like  253,- 
000,000  pounds  of  copper,  Arizona  today  leads  the  United 
States  in  the  production  of  this  royal  metal. 

The  manufacture  of  copper  is  the  most  important  "in- 
dustry in  the  territory.  Mining  was  substantially  com- 
menced here  long  before  Arizona  was  known  as  a  political 
subdivision  of  the  United  States.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  it  was  carried  on  in  a  crude  way,  and 
there  yet  remain,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  territory,  many 
evidences  that  silver  mines  were  worked  there  hundreds 
of  years  ago.  When  I  first  came  to  Arizona,  mining  on 
the  improved  and  modern  plan  had  just  begun,  although, 
years  before  that,  stamps  had  been  dropping  at  the  Vulture 
and  at  the  Silver  King.  The  Vulture  was  a  gold,  the  King 
a  silver  producer.  Both  have  records  of  many  millions  in 
production,  and  both,  on  account  of  expensive  transporta- 
tion, were  shut  down  long  ago.  Now  railroads  have  made 
possible  their  working  at  a  profit,  and  they  are  to  be  re- 
opened, companies  for  the  purpose  having  been  already  or- 
ganized. At  the  Vulture  and  other  mines  the  original 


120  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

houses  were  built  of  gold  ore,  so  rich  that  afterwards  they 
were  torn  down  and  milled  at  a  large  profit. 

It  was  shortly  after  the  Gadsden  purchase  that  the  first 
smelter— an  adobe  plant  at  the  old  Ajo  mine — was  operated, 
by  Peter  Brady,  a  well-known  pioneer.  In  1873  a  similar 
smelter  was  at  work  in  Final  county,  and  this  plant  it  was 
that  made  the  first  assay  of  the  ore  of  the  famous  Silver 
King.  In  the  early  sixties  mills  were  at  work  in  Arizona, 
but  among  the  first  of  the  modern  ones  constructed  here 
was  the  20-stamp  mill  on  the  San  Pedro  river,  near  Tomb- 
stone, erected  in  1879.  This  mill  worked  ores  from  the 
famous  Tombstone  mines. 

Now,  great  roaring  furnaces  have  supplanted  the  crude 
roaster;  stamp  mills,  the  arrastras  of  the  aborigines;  and 
magnificent  Corliss  engines,  the  one-horse  whim  of  the  pros- 
pector. And  nowhere  can  there  be  found  today  more  com- 
plete and  perfect  machinery  than  that  operating  on  the 
hills  and  in  the  canyons  of  Arizona.  If  the  men  who  worked 
on  the  Vecol,  twenty  years  ago,  could  see  the  Imperial 
smelter  on  the  plain  at  Sasco,  he  would  think  that  truly 
Alladin  had  come  to  life  and  rubbed  his  lamp  again;  so 
with  the  old  miner  of  the  Lucky  Cuss,  could  he  travel  now 
through  Humboldt,  where  is  located  the  northern  customs 
smelter;  or  through  Douglas,  where  two  great  smelters  are 
in  operation  night  and  day ;  or  through  Jerome,  from  where, 
by  night,  the  slag  dumped  from  the  mighty  furnaces  sends 
out  a  glow  so  vivid  and  far-reaching  as  to  be  seen — a  mag- 
nificent painting — in  the  Coconino  Forest,  fifty  miles  away. 

Among  the  gold  mines  of  the  Arizona  of  today  is  the 
Congress,  probably  the  deepest  in  its  workings  of  any  in 
the  territory,  and  its  richness  holds  with  depth,  nor  shows 
signs  of  giving  out.  The  King  of  Arizona  and  the  North 
Star,  two  comparatively  recent  discoveries  in  the  western 
part  of  the  territory,  are  developing  into  gold  producers, 
and  every  day  brings  news  of  additional  discoveries.  No- 
table among  the  gold  mines  of  Yavapai  county,  the  home  of 
the  Congress,  are  the  Tiger,  the  Octave  and  the  Poland  of 
Mohave  county,  the  Gold  Road  and  the  Arizona  Mexican. 


MINING  AND  THE  MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  ARIZONA.      121 

Nor  must  mention  of  our  placers  be  omitted;  for,  from 
the  Pot-holes  of  Yuma  county  to  the  Painted  Bock  in  Mari- 
copa,  there  seems  to  have  been  a  shower  of  the  precious 
metal;  from  the  summit  of  Rich  hill  to  Wickenburg,  the 
record  of  coarse  gold  would  indicate  that  in  early  ages 
there  had  been  a  cloud-burst  of  the  golden  grains.  From  the 
top  of  Rich  hill  alone  a  million  and  a  half  in  coarse  gold 
nuggets  was  picked  up  by  hand  in  years  gone  by.  And 
only  capital  is  needed  nowadays  in  order  to  work  at  a  profit 
these  great  and  almost  untouched  placers ;  for  they  need  the 
dredge,  a  costly  apparatus. 

That  investments  in  the  mountains  of  Arizona  richly 
reward  the  capitalist  is  proved  by  the  results  attained  by 
the  Detroit  Copper  Mining  Company,  the  Calumet  &  Ari- 
zona, the  Superior  &  Pittsburg,  the  Shattuck-Arizona,  the 
Old  Dominion,  the  United  Globe,  the  Gibson  Copper,  the 
Arizona  Copper,  the  Shannon,  the  Imperial  Copper  and  the 
Oxide  Copper  Company,  to  say  nothing  of  the  United  Verde 
and  the  Copper  Queen.  Nor  is  this  half  the  list,  but  time 
forbids  an  enumeration  of  the  hundreds  of  paying  mines 
now  in  operation. 

In  the  great  and  growing  Southwest  is  room  for  every 
sort  of  miner.  It  is  not  the  capitalist  alone  that  finds  fields 
of  usefulness  ^and  profit.  To  the  skilled  laborer  and  the 
common  miner  Arizona  now  offers  greater  opportunities 
than  ever  before.  Nor  have  the  unions  obtained  the  foot- 
hold here  that  they  have  in  California  and  other  Western 
mining  communities.  Strikes  are  almost  unknown.  Even 
during  the  panic  and  following  the  great  slump  in  copper, 
the  mines  of  Arizona  kept  up  activities,  employing  nearly 
the  usual  number  of  men,  with  only  a  slight  reduction  in 
wages. 

That  Arizona  jealously  guards  the  interests  of  those 
that  confide  in  her  has  been  proved  over  and  over  again, 
from  the  days  when  a  fearless  governor  published  a  printed 
declaration  against  fake  mining  companies,  mentioning  in 
particular  one  that  he  believed  to  be  merely  a  drag-net  for 
small  wage-earners,  down  to  the  present  administration. 


122  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

The  day  of  the  soap-bubble  mining  company,  as  well  as  the 
day  of  the  arrastra  and  the  adobe  furnace,  has  passed  away, 
and  with  it  is  passing  that  distrust  which  men  of  means 
so  often  feel  toward  the  mere  territory — the  frontier. 

The  total  value  of  the  production  of  copper,  gold  and 
silver  in  Arizona  for  the  year  just  passed  was  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  $55,000,000.  Nor  are  these  the  only  minerals 
we  produce.  The  list  is  long  and  includes  asbestos,  molyb- 
denum, chalcedony,  sapphires  and  other  precious  stones, 
as  well  as  common  table  salt.  Among  other  products  is  that 
white  auriferous  clay  from  the  Black  canyon,  famous  in 
the  West  for  its  medicinal  qualities,  and  known  as  gy-zo- 
rine. 

The  valuation   of   productive   patented  and   unpatented 
mines  and  mining  claims  in  Arizona    (for  taxable 

purposes)   is $13,712,134.32 

Valuation  of  improvements 2,102  272.00 

Valuation  of  non-productive  patented  mines 2,552,977.93 

Valuation  of  improvements 787,183.00 

Valuation   of   smelters 1,941,875.00 

Valuation    of   improvements   on    non-productive,    unpat- 
ented mines   .                     388,683.00 


$21,485,125.25 

And  even  with  the  vast  amount  of  mining  going  on, 
the  industry  is  only  in  its  infancy  here.  An  observant  per- 
son may  watch  the  lines  of  transportation  and  the  termi- 
nals, and  he  will  see,  daily,  carloads  of  new  machinery 
arriving  and  being  speedily  transported  to  the  camps  of 
Ray,  Kelvin,  Wenden,  Bouse  and  the  newer  mining  camps 
that  are  startling  the  commercial  and  mining  world  with 
their  richness.  While  some  of  these  statements  may  seem 
exaggerated  to  many  who  have  even  passed  through  the 
territory,  if  the  most  conservative  will  visit  the  different 
mining  camps  and  mills  in  Arizona,  he  will  agree  with  me, 
that  the  mineral  resources  of  the  territory  cannot  be  ex- 
aggerated. The  time  given  me  did  not  permit  of  the  prep- 
aration of  a  scientific  paper  requiring  research,  but  if  I 
have  awakened  your  interest  so  that  you  will  yourselves 
investigate  the  history  and  statistics  in  regard  to  Arizona's 
mining  and  mineral  resources,  the  object  of  this  paper  will 
have  been  accomplished. 


MINING  AND  THE  MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  ARIZONA.      123 

We  need  more  capital — that  capital  which  we  are  as- 
sured will  flow  to  us  when  we  become  a  state,  even  though 
then  we  shall  be  no  worthier  than  we  now  are.  We  have  the 
mineral,  we  have  the  transportation  facilities,  we  have  the 
mills  and  the  smelters;  and  when  we  -become  a  state  we 
shall  have  all  the  capital  we  need  to  take  out  and  work 
the  ore.  Until  that  time,  with  Sharlott  Hall  we  say  to  those 
that  would  bar  our  admission: 

"We  will  match  the  gold  of  your  minting,  with  its  mint- 
stamp  dulled  and  marred 
By  the  tears  and  blood  that  have  stained  it  and  the  hands 

that  have  clutched  too  hard, 
With  the  gold  that  no  man  has  lied  for — the  gold  that  no 

woman  has  made 
The   price  of  her   truth   and  honor,   plying  a   shameless 

trade — 
The  clean,  pure  gold  of  the  mountains,  straight  from  the 

strong,  dark  earth, 
WTith  no  tang  or  taint  upon  it  from  the  hour  of  its  primal 

birth. 
The  trick  of  the  money-changer,  shifting  his  coins  as  he 

wills, 
Ye  may  keep — no  Christ  was  bartered  for  the  wealth  of 

our  lavish  hills." 


The  Mineral  Resources  of  Virginia. 


BY  E.  A.  SCHUBERT,  INDUSTRIAL  AGENT,  NORFOLK  AND 
WESTERN  RAILWAY. 

The  name  Virginia,  to  most  people,  associates  little 
else,  except  that  it  is  the  seat  of  the  first  permanent  set- 
tlement of  English  speaking  people  in  America,  and  that 
it  must  of  necessity  under  these  circumstances  be  old  and 
thoroughly  known  in  practically  every  appointment. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  this  is  far  from  the  truth;  in  fact, 
there  are  thousands  and  perhaps  millions  of  acres  which 
to  this  day  are  practically  unknown,  unexplored  by  the 
white  man. 

For  some  reason,  which  I  am  not  able  to  explain,  this 
idea  has  taken  firm  root  in  our  sister  states,  and  no  matter 
what  argument  may  be  advanced,  it  is  scanned  with  a 
doubt,  and  by  most  people  rejected;  but  regardless  of  the 
opinion  of  the  skeptic,  the  premise  nevertheless  is  true. 

It  is  not  within  the  province  of  this  brief  paper  to 
discuss  the  mineral  resources  of  Virginia  from  a  purely 
scientific  standpoint,  but  rather,  in  a  general  manner,  to 
refer  to  their  economic  value  and  the  part  they  may  play 
in  the  mineral  and  other  industries  of  the  United  States 
and  the  world  in  the  future. 

There  scarcely  is  a  possibility  of  contradiction  from 
those  who  know  the  Virginias  as  I  know  them,  with  refer- 
ence to  the  statements  I  am  about  to  make;  but  I  am  quite 
certain  that  a  majority  of  the  members  and  delegates  of  this 
congress  assembled  will  ask  the  old  time  question:  "If 
what  you  say  is  true,  why  then  is  the  mineral  development 
so  slow,  and  the  influx  of  capital  uncertain  ?"  I  can  best 
answer  my  friends  who  question  my  statements,  that  capi- 
tal is  a  peculiar  and  timid  creature,  particularly  when 
sought  for  investment  in  mines  and  mining.  The  man  with 
a  thousand  dollars  to  invest  in  the  mineral  industry  much 
prefers  to  associate  his  investment  with  the  far  West,  Mex- 


THE   MINERAL  RESOURCES   OF   VIRGINIA.  125 

ico  or  some  other  foreign  country,  remote  from  transporta- 
tion, fuel,  labor  and  society,  in  the  hands  of  people  of  whom 
he  knows  but  little,  than  to  chance  it  in  an  old  state  like 
Virginia,  which,  if  it  is  not,  should  have  been  well  devel- 
oped many  years  ago,  and  so,  even  our  own  native  Vir- 
ginian will  dream  of  fortunes  yet  unborn  and  send  his 
money  to  other  sections,  where  his  dreams  in  all  probability 
will  never  become  a  reality  and  his  money  is  gone  from  him 
forever. 

It  is  the  desire  of  the  professional  and  business  men  of 
Virginia  to  bide  patiently  the  time  when  the  Old  Dominion 
shall  receive  her  own,  and  be  endowed  with  that  great 
awakening  which  year  after  year  is  drawing  nearer. 

Coal. 

It  is  hard  indeed  to  believe  that  man  is  so  blind  to  his 
own  senses  as  to  pass  his  fortune,  when  the  doors  are  about 
to  be  opened  to  him,  but  such  has  happened  in  the  Virginias, 
when  thousands  upon  thousands  of  acres  of  rich  coal  land 
were  sold  as  low  as  fifty  cents  per  acre,  while  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  acres  were  forfeited  to  the  state  for  taxes, 
which,  if  they  had  been  held  for  a  few  years  longer,  would 
have  made  many  a  man  a  millionaire,  who  as  a  result  of  his 
ill  judgment  is  a  pauper  today.  This  coal  land  which 
thirty  years  ago  was  sold  for  fifty  cents  per  acre,  fifteen 
years  ago  was  worth  $25.00  per  acre  and  at  the  present 
time  it  is  a  frequent  occurrence  to  learn  that  as  much  as 
$500.00  per  acre  has  been  offered  and  refused  for  well 
proven  Pocahontas  coal  lands,  and  no  person  cares  to  sell. 
But  is  there  any  wonder,  when  I  recall  but  one  year  since 
that  wonderful  display  of  bituminous  coal  at  the  James- 
town exposition,  perhaps  the  finest  ever  shown,  and  recall 
one  single  lump  taken  from  the  mines  of  the  Pocahontas 
Collieries  Company,  which  showed  the  seam  at  that  point 
to  be  over  ten  feet  thick  without  one  single  parting?  This 
lump  was  taken  three  miles  from  the  entrance  to  the  mine, 
and  weighed  eight  tons.  I  might  add  that  the  Pocahontas 
Number  Three  coal  seam  will  average  more  than  twelve 
feet  in  thickness  on  this  property  and  it  has  been  mined  at 


126  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

points  where  it  was  twenty-three  feet  in  thickness  without 
a  parting.  In  this  particular  section  there  are  six  workable 
seams  of  coal  totaling  about  fifty  feet.  When  we  consider 
that  Buchanan  county,  containing  over  600,000  acres;  Dick- 
inson, about  250,000;  Wise,  400,000,  and  Russell,  Scott  and 
Lee  many  thousand  more,  are  practically  one  solid  lump  of 
coal,  and  that  some  of  these  counties  at  the  present  have 
not  one  single  mile  of  railway  within  their  borders,  is  there 
any  question  about  this  industry  being  in  its  infancy  and 
that  development  has  scarcely  begun?  Let  us  look  to  the 
future. 

Thirty  years  ago  less  than  half  a  million  tons  of  coal 
were  transported  by  the  railways  of  this  section  to  the  sea- 
board, principally  Norfolk,  but  now  fully  fifteen  million 
tons  find  an  ever  increasing  market  in  that  port.  Not  con- 
tent with  the  transportation  facilities,  as  developed  up  to 
three  years  ago,  two  other  trunk  lines  were  organized,  and 
now  are  nearing  completion,  one  having  its  tidewater  ter- 
minus in  Norfolk,  the  other  in  South  Carolina.  When  these 
roads  are  completed,  the  coal  carrying  capacity  will  be  in- 
creased about  forty  per  cent,  and  four  of  the  finest  railways 
in  the  United  States,  if  not  in  the  world,  will  carry  this  eco- 
nomic factor  from  the  mines  to  all  sections  of  the  globe. 

It  is  estimated  that  these  great  coal  fields  can,  by 
means  of  the  railways  now  completed  and  now  building, 
transport  two  hundred  trains  per  day,  fifty  cars  to  the 
train  and  fifty  tons  to  the  car,  for  upwards  of  four  hundred 
years  without  exhausting  the  coal  measures  along  their 
lines.  And  all  this  development  has  taken  place  in  less 
than  thirty  years,  which  may  not  be  realized  by  those  in 
this  congress.  The  United  States  Steel  corporation  real- 
ized the  great  value  and  power  of  this  flat  top  region  sev- 
eral years  ago  and  now  has  developed  and  in  operation  one 
of  the  finest  if  not  the  finest  coal  and  coking  plant  in  the 
world,  at  Gary.  Other  companies  have  made  equally  great 
development. 

I  have  referred  only  to  the  bituminous  coal  areas  of 
the  Virginias  and  the  nearby  territory.  We  have  also  what 


THE   MINERAL  RESOuRCES  OF  VIRGINIA.  127 

we  now  term  the  Virginia  anthracite,  or  semi-anthracite, 
a  coal  that  partakes  of  the  characteristics  of  the  bituminous 
coal  in  its  free  burning,  but  partakes  of  the  anthracite  char- 
acteristics on  account  of  its  being  low  in  volatile  matter, 
thereby  making  it  an  ideal  coal  for  domestic  purposes, 
there  being  no  more  smoke  than  in  the  best  of  Pennsylvania 
anthracite.  This  coal  area  is  practically  undeveloped  and 
unknown,  save  for  four  mines  in  the  vicinity  of  Christians- 
burg  and  Pulaski.  Perhaps  half  a  million  tons  of  this  coal 
have  been  recovered  at  all  of  the  operations  and  the  de- 
posits scarcely  touched.  I  have  traced  this  coal  from  the 
Tennessee  border  to  the  West  Virginia  line  in  Berkeley 
county  and  find  it  constant,  regular  and  persistent;  will 
vary  from  three  to  twelve  feet  in  thickness;  has  a  dip  at  the 
outcrop  of  about  38  degrees,  gradually  flattening  with 
depth,  until  now,  in  one  of  the  mines  which  has  been  worked 
on  the  slope  about  900  feet,  where  the  dip  is  only  about 
twenty  degrees.  This  coal  is  purely  sedimentary,  but  its 
true  history  is  still  a  matter  for  future  research  and  defi- 
nite conclusions.  I  am  not  claiming  that  the  time  is  at 
hand  for  a  general  development  of  this  coal  field,  but  there 
is  no  question  that  this  deposit  in  the  future  will  prove  of 
great  value  and  yield  billions  of  tons  of  high  grade  fuel. 
To  conceive  the  area  and  tonnage  that  may  be  recovered, 
I  might  add  that  the  territory  is  about  400  miles  long,  two 
to  five  miles  wide  and  will  easily  average  six  feet  in  thick- 
ness, not  calculating  that  at  points  there  are  as  many  as 
thirteen  different  seams  and  rarely  less  than  two. 

Triassic  Coal  Beds. 

In  Eastern  Virginia  are  two  coal  basins  having  an  area  of 
several  hundred  square  miles,  found  in  the  Triassic  meas- 
ures. This  coal  is  found  in  a  syncline,hasa  thicknessof  about 
six  feet  and  many  years  ago  was  worked,  particularly  dur- 
ing the  civil  war.  The  coal  is  of  a  good  quality,  but  on 
account  of  the  depth  and  manner  in  which  mining  must  be 
pursued,  it  cannot  be  recovered  and  compete  with  the  drift 
mines  of  Western  Virginia.  Many  years  hence  Virginia 
will  have  a  valuable  asset  in  these  Triassic  coal  beds. 


128  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Iron. 

To  me  none  of  the  minerals  playing  such  an  important 
part  in  the  supremacy  of  our  nation  are  so  interesting  as 
are  coal  and  iron.  Having  reviewed  the  former,  I  now 
shall  take  the  opportunity  to  direct  your  attention  to  the 
subject  of  iron,  which  is  creating  so  much  discussion  in 
the  world  today.  This  great  factor  is  but  a  close  com- 
panion to  coal;  they  go  hand  in  hand.  A  little  over  a  year 
ago,  the  industrial  and  scientific  journals  were  very  much 
wrought  up,  but  unnecessarily  so,  at  the  rapid  depletion  of 
the  world's  iron  ore  supply.  A  trifle  over  ten  billion  tons 
at  that  time  was  all  that  was  accredited  to  the  entire  world. 
Of  this  amount,  only  about  three  billion  tons  was  credited 
to  the  United  States.  Would  I  be  venturing  a  visionary 
statement  and  one  utterly  untenable  to  proclaim  to  this 
congress  that  the  Virginias  today  have  a  practically  un- 
known and  untouched  ore  reserve  equal  to  that  accredited 
to  the  entire  United  States?  Yet  this  is  true.  I  do  not 
mean  that  it  is  an  ore  equal  in  iron  content  to  that  found  in 
the  Superior  regions,  neither  do  I  mean  that  it  is  as  low  in 
metallic  iron  as  that  found  in  our  sister  commonwealth  of 
Alabama,  but  it  is  quite  an  easy  matter  to  have  our  ores  av- 
erage 45  per  cent  metallic  iron,  and  well  adapted  to  the 
manufacture  of  grey  forge,  foundry  and  basic  pig.  Fur- 
ther, I  beg  to  say  that  much  of  this  ore  is  not  available  at 
the  present  time,  but  will  be  in  years  to  come. 

This  being  an  interesting  subject,  I  shall  indulge  your 
time  by  referring  to  the  several  grades  of  ore  and  their 
localities.  One  of  the  most  abundant  varieties  is  what  we 
term  locally  Brown  Mountain  ore.  There  are  hundreds  of 
miles  of  this  iron  ore  lead  on  top  or  near  the  crest  of  nu- 
merous mountains  in  Virginia.  The  iron  content  is  low, 
very  seldom  in  excess  of  thirty  per  cent,  and  on  account  of 
its  geological  location  difficult  to  recover  at  this  time,  in 
competition  with  the  other  and  richer  deposits.  These 
leads  will  vary  from  three  to  forty  feet  in  thickness,  lie 
regular  and  therefore  will  be  found  to  a  great  depth.  There 
are  fully  one  billion  tons  and  perhaps  double  this  amount  of 
this  kind  of  ore  in  Virginia. 


THE   MINERAL   RESOURCES   OP  VIRGINIA.  129 

Next  is  what  we  call  the  Oriskany  ore,  noted  for  mak- 
ing a  very  high  grade  iron,  carrying  a  small  percentage  of 
manganese  and  taking  its  name  from  its  association  with 
the  Oriskany  sandstone,  which  it  generally  underlies,  but 
may  be  found  with  this  sandstone  as  the  footwall  as  well. 
I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  there  are  fully  500  miles  of  this 
ore  lead  in  the  state  of  Virginia,  ranging  in  thickness  from 
one  to  more  than  100  feet.  Recently  the  Norfolk  &  Western 
railway  decided  to  build  a  branch  into  the  Great  Potts 
valley,  for  the  purpose  of  developing  this  ore,  and  it  is  re- 
liably estimated  that  more  than  half  a  billion  tons  are  made 
available  by  means  of  the  transportation  facilities  provided. 
I  have  given  close  attention  to  the  ore  deposits  of  this  sec- 
tion; have  spent  weeks  and  months  in  the  investigation, 
and  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  many  million  tons  of  this 
ore  are  practically  unknown  today.  This  ore  will  average 
about  47  per  cent  metallic  iron,  practically  free  from  sul- 
phur, and  well  adapted  for  basic  purposes. 

Still  another  variety  is  the  Limonite  or  brown  hematite 
of  this  same  area.  This  ore  is  found  in  measures  higher 
than  the  Oriskany,  usually  a  close  grained  sandstone  for  a 
footwall,  is  not  quite  so  regular  and  persistent,  but  is  a  good 
and  easily  worked  ore  in  the  furnace.  It  is  quite  difficult 
to  venture  an  opinion  on  these  deposits,  but  I  believe  they 
will  be  found  in  regular  formation,  in  both  synclines  and 
anticlines,  similar  to  the  Oriskany.  This  ore  covers  a  large 
area  and  therefore  will  become  a  great  factor  in  the  future. 

The  principal  ore  supply  of  Virginia  and  one  that  has 
been  producing  about  one  million  tons  per  year,  is  the  so- 
called  Cripple  Creek,  true  Limonite  ore  from  southwest  Vir- 
ginia, in  Wythe  and  Pulaski  counties.  This  ore  will  aver- 
age about  44  per  cent  metallic  iron.  It  is  these  deposits 
which  prompted  so  many  people  fifteen  years  ago  to  leave 
Virginia,  saying  that  the  ore  deposits  of  the  state  were 
pockety  and  practically  played  out.  It  is  this  same  class 
of  men  who  never  studied  the  true  conditions  of  Virginia 
that  we  have  to  reckon  with  today  and  who  do  not  care  to 
return  to  the  Old  Dominion  and  let  us  show  them  the  new 


130  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

development.  True,  these  deposits  are  pockety,  but  they 
are  found  frequently  to  a  great  depth  and  the  future  will 
see  them  yield  many  million  tons  of  good  ore. 

But  this  is  not  the  only  ore  we  have;  along  the  flanks 
of  the  Blue  Kidge,  in  the  valley  of  Virginia,  and  extending 
from  Floyd  county  in  the  southwest  to  the  Potomac  in  the 
northeast,  is  an  irregular,  semi-stratified,  but  yet  continu- 
ous deposit  of  good  wash  ore,  which  easily  will  yield  100,- 
000,000  tons  in  years  fo  come.  Paralleling  this  ore,  but 
higher  on  the  mountain  side,  is  a  lead  of  Specular  iron  ore, 
a  red  hematite,  very  hard  and  silicious,  varying  in  iron  con- 
tent from  33  to  54  per  cent,  but  which  makes  a  very  high 
grade  foundry  pig.  This  lead  is  a  fissure  formation,  fully 
fifty  miles  long,  from  three  to  ten  feet  thick,  averaging 
about  six  feet,  and  continues  to  a  depth  unknown.  The 
tonnage  to  be  recovered  from  this  deposit  is  enormous. 
This  ore  will  be  in  great  demand  after  it  is  better  known, 
since  it  makes  a  high  grade  iron  and  acts  kindly  in  the 
furnace. 

Still  another  lead  of  coming  importance  and  one  to 
which  I  have  given  much  attention,  is  the  Titaniferous  de- 
posits of  Floyd,  Franklin,  Carroll  and  Grayson  counties, 
Virginia,  and  Ashe  and  Wautauga  counties,  North  Caro- 
lina. I  have  seen  this  lead  vary  from  two  to  sixty  feet  in 
thickness,  purely  fissure  formation  with  chloritic  walls,  and 
I  am  safe  in  saying  that  fully  200  miles  of  this  lead  are 
practically  unknown  and  undeveloped  today.  This  ore  will 
vary  in  metallic  content  from  forty  to  sixty  per  cent  and 
in  titanic  oxide  from  three  to  fifteen  per  cent.  Much  of 
this  ore,  exclusive  of  titanium,  is  bessemer. 

Paralleling  this  Titaniferous  lead,  we  have  some  three 
veins  of  magnetic  iron,  more  or  less  lenticular,  but  ranging 
in  thickness  from  two  to  twenty-five  feet.  There  are  fully 
150  miles  of  this  iron  in  Virginia,  none  of  which  has  been 
prospected  to  any  great  extent,  largely  on  account  of  the 
transportation  being  unavailable.  But  now  a  line  is  pro- 
jected into  this  field  and  great  development  may  be  ex- 
pected in  the  near  future. 


THE   MINERAL  RESOURCES   OF  VIRGINIA.  131 

Another  great  and  practically  unknown  magnetic  iron 
ore  district  lies  east  of  the  Blue  Eidge  and  taking  in  the 
counties  of  Rappahannock,  Green,  Madison,  Nelson,  Am- 
herst,  Bedford,  Franklin,  Henry  and  Patrick.  There  is 
very  little  known  about  these  deposits,  except  that  one  mine 
in  Franklin  has  been  in  operation  for  a  number  of  years 
and  a  very  good  grade  of  ore  recovered. 

Another  deposit  of  more  than  passing  interest  is  the 
Gossan  or  Mundic  lead  of  Grayson,  Carroll  and  Floyd  coun- 
ties. The  extent  of  this  wonderful  deposit  is  practically 
unknown.  It  has  been  worked  more  or  less  for  many  years, 
first  for  copper,  then  for  iron  and  now  for  the  high-grade 
pyritic  ore  which  is  recovered  and  which,  after  much  ex- 
perimenting and  the  expenditure  of  vast  sums  of  money, 
resulted  in  the  establishment  at  Pulaski  of  the  great  chem- 
ical works  which  now  manufacture  all  grades  of  sulphuric 
acid.  This  is  a  new  institution,  but  the  success  of  the  en- 
terprise is  assured.  This  lead  of  ore  will  vary  from  ten 
to  more  than  100  feet  in  thickness,  carries  about  29  per 
cent  sulphur  and  50  to  55  per  cent  of  iron.  The  sulphur  is 
eliminated  and  the  iron  utilized  in  a  nearby  furnace. 

Another  deposit  of  future  importance  is  the  red  fossil- 
iferous,  siliceous  deposits  found  on  the  tops  and  sides  of 
many  of  the  mountains.  This  ore  is  not  now  available, 
since  it  carries  only  about  21  per  cent  metallic  iron,  but 
there  are  several  billion  tons  of  this  ore  in  Virginia,  which 
now  is  considered  nothing  but  old  and  worthless  "rock." 
The  future  will  see  this  ore  pulverized,  the  iron  separated 
and  briquelted  for  use. 

Finally,  there  are  hundreds  of  small  and  isolated  de- 
posits of  ore  found  in  practically  every  county  of  Virginia 
west  of  Tidewater  carrying  from  a  thousand  to  a  number 
of  thousand  tons  of  ore ;  these  at  the  present  are  receiving 
no  attention,  but  the  time  will  come  when  they,  also,  will 
become  valuable,  and  in  the  aggregate  will  produce  a  goodly 
tonnage. 

Thus  I  have  told  the  story  of  iron  ore  in  Virginia;  it 
does  not  appear  within  reason,  but  the  future  will  verify 
my  statements. 


132  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Limestone  and  Dolomite. 

I  shall  refer  but  briefly  to  the  limestone  and  dolomite 
of  Virginia.  We  have  hundreds  of  square  miles  of  high 
grade  limestone,  suitable  for  all  purposes,  from  its  use  as 
ballast  and  macadam  to  the  higher  and  purer  grades  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  hydraulic  and  portland  cement,  flux- 
ing material,  lime  and  general  chemical  purposes,  to  which 
this  very  economic  product  may  be  applied.  This  lime- 
stone will  frequently  contain  as  much  as  99%  per  cent  cal- 
cium carbonate,  while  the  dolomite  is  of  such  rare  purity 
that  it  can  be  used  for  practically  any  purpose  where  a 
magnesian  limestone  is  required. 

Already  lime  kilns,  fertilizer  works  and  other  indus- 
tries consuming  this  product  are  being  established  and  the 
near  future  will  see  still  further  development. 

Clay  and  Shale. 

To  many  people  it  may  seem  strange  to  learn  that  there 
is  abundance  of  clay  and  shale  in  Virginia.  The  clay  is 
not  limited  to  any  particular  section  of  the  state,  but  is 
found  in  nearly  every  county  from  the  ocean  to  West  Vir- 
ginia, while  shale  of  a  very  superior  quality,  both  hard  and 
soft,  is  found  in  nearly  every  county  west  of  the  Blue 
Ridge.  This  clay  and  shale  is  found  in  proximity  with  the 
limestone,  and  the  future  great  development  of  the  portland 
cement  industry  will  recognize-  these  vast  deposits,  which 
no  doubt  will  lead  to  the  establishment  of  other  cement 
mills  in  the  great  valley  of  Virginia.  Even  now  new  brick 
plants  are  being  projected  for  the  purpose  of  manufactur- 
ing high  grade  vitrified,  paving,  and  re-pressed  building 
brick  of  a  quality  equal  to  those  manufactured  elsewhere. 
I  predict  that  the  future  brick  industry  will  see  some  of 
its  activity  removed  from  the  valley  of  the  Ohio  to  the  val- 
ley of  Virginia. 

Gypsum. 

The  only  state  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon  line,  and  east 
of  the  Mississippi,  in  which  gypsum  is  found  is  Virginia. 
Smyth  and  Washington  counties  claim  these  deposits.  This 
is  a  sedimentary  stratified  deposit,  rather  lenticular,  and  is 


THE   MINERAL  RESOURCES   OF  VIRGINIA.  133 

found  only  in  the  Holston  valley;  the  area  in  which  this 
valuable  mineral  is  found  is  about  three  miles  wide  and 
fifteen  miles  long.  It  is  found  in  a  limestone  formation 
and  the  character  is  perculiar  to  itself.  Drillings  have  re- 
vealed the  following:  About  fifty  feet  of  detritions  mat- 
ter; from  40  to  50  feet  of  gypsum,  then  about  80  feet  of  de- 
tritious  matter,  then  another  deposit  of  gypsum  about  75 
feet  thick.  No  drilling  of  record  is  known  beyond  this 
depth.  A  shaft  was  sunk  in  search  of  salt  in  the  upper  end 
of  this  valley,  to  a  depth  of  592  feet  in  solid  gypsum  and 
was  still  in  gypsum  when  abandoned.  It  was  perfectly  dry 
the  entire  depth.  This  was  at  the  close  of  the  civil  war. 
The  tonnage  is  enormous;  the  gypsum  is  of  great  purity, 
being  in  excess  of  98  per  cent  calcium  sulphate.  At  the 
Jamestown  exposition  I  had  a  drill  core  on  exhibition  taken 
from  one  of  the  drillings,  42  feet  long,  of  grey  and  white 
gypsum  without  any  foreign  matter.  This  attracted  much 
attention.  However,  the  interesting  feature  is  to  visit  the 
mines  and  see  the  wonderful  cavern  that  is  being  produced 
through  the  removal  of  the  gypsum  and  where  the  wall  and 
foot  show  it  to  be  fully  fifty  feet  thick. 

Already  two  great  mills  are  in  operation,  the  last  one 
having  a  daily  output  of  500  tons,  all  kinds  of  product, 
while  their  equipment  is  modern  in  every  appointment. 

Salt. 

At  the  lower  end  of  the  gypsum  field,  at  what  is  known 
as  Saltville,  is  one  of  the  great  chemical  works  of  America. 
This  plant  involves  an  expenditure  of  several  million  dol- 
lars. During  the  civil  war  this  was  practically  the  only 
source  of  salt  supply  for  the  Confederacy;  here  the  rock 
salt,  limestone  and  other  by-products  are  converted  into 
soda  ash,  carbonate  and  bi-carbonate  of  soda,  caustic  pot- 
ash, concentrated  lye,  carbonate  of  ammonia  and  numerous 
other  chemical  compounds.  This  industry  has  grown  until 
now  it  has  a  daily  output  of  about  ten  carloads. 

I  am  not  in  a  position  to  give  you  much  information 
about  this  salt  deposit,  save  that  it  covers  several  thousand 


134  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

acres,  and  I  am  reliably  informed  that  wells  have  been 
drilled  to  a  depth  of  2,300  feet  and  still  in  rock  salt. 

Marl. 

We  have  two  kinds  of  marl  in  Virginia,  the  granular 
limestone  marl  of  Eockbridge  and  Allegheny  counties,  con- 
taining about  91  per  cent  calcium  carbonate,  and  the  green 
sand  marls  of  Tidewater.  Both  are  practically  undevel- 
oped, but  no  doubt  in  the  near  future  will  prove  of  great 
value  and  profit  to  the  people  developing  the  same.  The 
marl  beds  can  be  purchased  at  nominal  figures,  while  the 
demand,  when  once  established,  will  be  large  for  agricul- 
tural and  cement  purposes. 

Marble,  Onyx,  Granite. 

Marble  is  found  in  a  number  of  sections  of  Virginia. 
A  very  fine  Travertine  marble  is  found  in  Grayson  county ; 
an  exceptionally  fine  quality  of  Verde  Antique  is  found  in 
Fauquier.  Limestone  marble,  in  the  pink,  grey  and  black 
is  found  in  Montgomery,  Giles,  Botetourt,  Rockbridge  and 
Eockingham  counties.  All  these  deposits  are  practically 
undeveloped  and  unknown.  White  marble  is  found  in  Flu- 
vanna,  Bedford  and  other  counties  east  of  the  Blue  Eidge, 
some  of  .which  has  been  worked  in  the  past,  but  unfortu- 
nately none  of  the  valuable  deposits  are  accessible  to  trans- 
portation at  this  time.  I  had  some  of  the  finest  and  rarest 
specimens  of  Verde  Antique  marble  at  the  Jamestown  ex- 
position. We  also  had  a  block  of  pure  black  marble  from 
Montgomery  weighing  two  tons,  and  other  fine  specimens 
which  in  the  future  will  warrant  extensive  development. 

Onyx  of  the  cave  variety  is  found  in  many  caves  of  the 
valley,  always  in  the  limestone  formations;  but  on  account 
of  its  rare  value  as  curiosities  to  visitors  to  these  caverns, 
it  is  not  available  except  as  mentioned.  Eecentlv.  how- 
ever, in  Tazewell  county,  a  large  deposit  of  onyx  of  r*n"° 
coloring  and  figures  has  been  discovered,  and  some  excep- 
tionally large  pieces  are  being  taken  from  the  mines.  Onyx 
also  is  found  in  the  counties  of  Botetourt  and  Washington, 
and  the  future  will  see  further  development. 


THE   MINERAL  RESOURCES   OP  VIRGINIA.  135 

Granite  is  found  in  many  counties  of  Virginia,  but  the 
most  promising  ledges  are  in  the  vicinity  of  Richmond,  Pe- 
tersburg, Burkeville  and  Blackstone.  Other  fine  ledges 
are  known,  particularly  in  the  border  counties  of  North  Car- 
olina. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  building  and  structural  stone 
throughout  the  state,  ranging  from  different  colors  of  lime- 
stone, such  as  pink,  light  and  dark  blue,  and  grey;  sand- 
stone, from  a  coarse  buff  in  Tazewell  and  Giles  counties; 
peak  blue  and  dark  grey  in  Pulaski  and  Wythe.  This  stone 
is  a  very  fine  texture  but  hard  and  heavy  and  will  withstand 
an  enormous  crushing  test.  Virginia,  however,  is  not  noted 
for  its  fine  grained  sandstone,  there  being  but  one  deposit, 
a  beautiful  buff  in  Warren  county  which  to  my  knowledge 
is  worthy  of  mention.  The  stone  industry  in  every  branch 
is  practically  undeveloped,  but  gradually  there  will  be  a 
growing  demand  for  fine  colored  natural  stone,  and  then 
will  be  the  opportunity  for  developing  an  industry  which 
at  this  time  is  practically  dead. 

Glass  Sand. 

In  Eoanoke,  Giles,  Floyd,  Botetourt,  Craig,  Tazewell, 
Eussell  and  Grayson  counties  are,  practically  speaking, 
mountains  of  silica  rock  or  glass  sand.  At  the  present 
there  is  but  one  deposit  developed  and  being  worked.  This 
deposit  is  in  Eoanoke  county,  near  Salem.  This  sand  is 
nearly  pure,  carrying  99%  per  cent  silica.  Other  deposits 
equally  pure  are  available. 

Slate. 

Very  few  people  associate  slate  deposits  with  any  sec- 
tion except  Maine  and  Pennsylvania,  but  we  have  here  in 
Virginia,  in  Buckingham  and  Bedford  counties,  some  of 
the  largest  slate  quarries  in  America.  The  quality  is  ex- 
cellent and  suitable  for  practically  all  purposes  to  which 
slate  is  adapted.  Fine  deposits  of  slate  are  known  to  exist 
in  other  counties  of  Virginia,  among  them  Botetourt,  Craig, 
Giles,  Bland,  Wythe,  Scott,  Lee,  Grayson  and  Patrick.  This 
slate  in  some  instances  is  suitable  for  heavy  work  such  as 


136  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

vaults  and  sanitary  appliances,  but  it  also  will  split  into  a 
fine  quality  of  black  roofing  slate. 

Kaolin  and  Feldspar. 

Kaolin  is  found  in  many  counties  of  Virginia.  The 
quality  is  not  so  good  as  that  mined  in  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia,  since  it  carries  a  large  amount  of  sand  and  mica, 
necessitating  a  thorough  washing  and  quite  expensive  ma- 
chinery for  the  preparation  of  the  product  for  the  market. 
The  quality,  however,  is  fine,  having  been  used  by  some 
of  the  potters  of  East  Liverpool  for  a  number  of  years. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  this  material  and  the  future  will 
see  active  development  in  this  line. 

Perhaps  one  of  Virginia's  most  valuable  assets  is  her 
large  deposits  of  high  grade  feldspar.  This  is  found  in 
true  fissure  formation  and  continues  for  many  miles.  About 
the  only  development  work  on  this  lead  is  in  Bedford 
county,  seven  miles  from  a  railway,  where  a  very  high 
grade  potash  spar  has  been  developed  and  perhaps  a  thou- 
sand tons  were  mined  and  shipped  this  year.  This  spar 
carries  over  twelve  per  cent  potash  and  the  physical  tests 
made  with  it  show  it  to  be  equal  to  the  best  and  superior 
to  most  feldspar  on  the  market  today.  This  is  a  virgin  field 
and  deserves  careful  attention. 

Mica. 

Associated  with  the  kaolin,  feldspar  and  chlorites  is 
that  wonderful  product  from  nature's  laboratory,  mica. 
Much  has  been  said  and  written  about  the  qualities  of  the 
mica  found  in  other  states  and  countries,  but  it  remains  for 
several  of  Virginia's  counties  to  produce  a  mica  equal  to 
the  best.  Pittsburgh  capital  saw  the  possibilities  of  the 
mica  deposits  of  Henry  county  and  they  now  have  in  oper- 
ation one  of  the  finest  mining,  cutting  and  grinding  plants 
in  the  United  States.  This  is  a  true  fissure  formation;  the 
vein  is  about  twelve  feet  thick,  the  mica  is  encased  in  a 
heavy  feldspar,  and  all  sizes  found,  up  to  and  including 
some  that  cuts  22x32  inches  clear  sheets.  I  saw  a  piece  of 
mica  in  this  mine  that  weighed  not  less  than  3,500  pounds. 


THE   MINERAL   RESOURCES   OF   VIRGINIA.  137 

This  company  owns  about  eighty  acres,  but  there  is  an 
abundance  of  mica  in  that  section,  in  fact  sufficient  for  the 
establishment  of  a  hundred  such  plants.  The  field  is  virgin 
and  the  opportunities  great. 

Asbestos. 

Virginia  also  is  a  producer  of  asbestos;  perhaps  the 
longest  but  not  the  toughest  fibres  in  the  world  come  from 
Franklin  and  Bedford  counties.  A  number  of  small  mines 
are  in  operation,  and  the  product  recovered  is  prepared  for 
the  market  in  a  large  modern  mill  erected  in  Bedford  City 
about  five  years  ago.  As  stated  before,  I  am  not  claiming 
for  the  Virginia  product  a  tough  fibre,  but  the  length  and 
purity  of  the  fibre  is  a  wonder.  I  have  seen  fibres  four 
feet  long.  Other  counties  in  which  asbestos  is  found  are 
Henry,  Franklin,  Floyd  and  Carroll. 

Soapstone. 

That  the  Virginia  soapstone  is  of  a  superior  quality  is 
attested  by  the  enormous  quarries  now  in  operation  in  Nel- 
son and  Albemarle  counties.  It  is  possible  to  quarry  blocks 
four  by  ten  feet  and  any  thickness  from  one  inch  to  five  feet 
that  may  be  required.  This  soapstone  has  no  defects,  is  a 
beautiful  blue  and  is  manufactured  into  many  sanitary  and 
culinary  appliances.  There  are  many  other  sections  where 
soapstone  is  found,  both  blue  and  buff,  among  them  being 
Amherst,  Campbell,  Bedford,  Franklin,  Henry,  Patrick, 
Floyd,  Carroll  and  Grayson  counties.  There  is  a  growing 
demand  for  good  pure  soapstone  and  the  near  future  will 
see  thousands  of  tons  used  annually  in  the  steel  and  iron 
plants  of  the  country. 

Phosphates. 

In  the  counties  of  Roanoke  and  Nelson,  large  deposits 
of  apatite  are  found.  This  rock  carries  from  forty  to  fifty 
per  cent  phosphate  of  lime  and  from  ten  to  thirty  per  cent 
ilmenite.  It  is  not  available  at  the  present,  but  future  ex- 
periments will  make  this  a  very  desirable  deposit  and  one 
that  has  much  value.  Other  deposits  are  known. 


138  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Pebble   Grit. 

In  Montgomery  county  is  an  enormous  ledge  of  pebble 
grit.  This  grit  is  being  manufactured  into  mill  stones  for 
corn,  paint  and  baryta  mills  and  for  any  other  purpose 
where  such  a  stone  is  required.  The  quality  is  not  excelled 
anywhere. 

Copper. 

The  subject  of  copper  is  one  of  great  interest,  no  mat- 
ter where  it  may  be  found.  Virginia,  true  to  her  record  in 
other  economic  minerals,  also  has  areas  carrying  copper 
ore.  Three  separate  and  distinct  districts  are  known, 
namely,  along  the  Blue  Ridge  in  Clarke,  Fauquier,  Rappa- 
hannock,  Warren,  Page,  Green  and  Masidon;  Southwest 
Virginia,  in  the  counties  of  Carroll,  Grayson  and  Floyd; 
and  Piedmont  or  Virgilina,  being  in  the  counties  of  Halifax, 
Charlotte  and  Prince  Edward.  In  addition  to  these  major 
areas,  several  small  and  isolated  deposits  are  known. 

The  Blue  Eidge  deposits  usually  are  found  in  the  rocks 
of  igneous  origin,  principally  basaltic,  resting  against  a 
heavy  sandstone,  very  dense  in  character.  The  area  over 
which  the  ore  is  found  is  large,  but  developments  demon- 
strate that  the  copper  bearing  rock  usually  disappears  at 
a  very  shallow  depth,  in  very  few  instances  exceeding  fifty 
feet.  The  surface  ore  is  of  a  very  good  quality  of  chal- 
copyrite,  azurite  and  malachite,  and  will  average  about  six 
per  cent  metallic  copper  and  a  small  value  in  gold;  but,  as 
stated  before,  it  soon  becomes  leaner  and  disappears  en- 
tirely. That  the  tonnage  which  may  be  recovered  is  large 
is  beyond  question,  but  on  account  of  the  irregularity  of  the 
deposits,  it  will  be  years  before  any  great  amount  will  be 
recovered,  or  the  field  fully  developed. 

The  southwest  Virginia  area  carries  chalcopyrite  and 
the  sulphide,  and  appears  to  be  a  very  promising  district. 
At  one  point,  Peach  Bottom,  a  shaft  was  sunk  to  a  depth  of 
165  feet,  showing  a  regular  vein  a  little  over  six  feet  and 
averaging  over  four  per  cent  copper,  with  about  $2.00  per 
ton  gold  and  silver.  The  walls  are  schist,  dip  at  a  slight 
angle,  the  lead  being  lenticular  in  form.  I  believe  that 
future  operations  on  this  lead  will  be  very  satisfactory. 


THE   MINERAL   RESOURCES   OF   VIRGINIA.  139 

Paralleling  Peach  Bottom,  about  ten  miles  to  the  south- 
east, is  a  large  and  persistent  lead  of  high  grade  sulphide 
ore.  At  Ore  Knob  in  North  Carolina,  this  ore  was  mined 
and  refined  until  the  year  1871,  when  the  mine  was  shut 
down  on  account  of  its  being  impossible  to  produce  the 
metal  when  it  was  necessary  to  haul  the  coke  and  other 
supplies  forty  miles  across  mountains  by  wagon,  and  return 
the  metal  by  a  similar  train.  Also  the  slump  in  the  price 
of  copper  came,  which  in  reality  was  the  true  factor  creat- 
ing the  shut-down.  This  mine  has  produced  over  17,000,090 
pounds  of  refined  copper.  This  ore  averages  over  five  per 
cent  metallic  copper,  carries  some  gold  values  and  is  rich 
in  sulphur. 

From  Ore  Knob  this  lead  can  be  traced  for  fifty  miles 
to  the  northeast  to  the  old  Toncray  mines,  in  Floyd  county, 
which  recently  were  purchased  by  a  New  York  company 
and  reopened.  This  company  claims  to  have  1,500  tons  of 
twelve  per  cent  ore  on  the  dump,  with  thousands  of  tons 
in  sight.  They  also  have  erected  a  smelter  for  the  produc- 
tion of  matte  and  while  28  miles  from  the  railway,  this  com- 
pany expects  to  begin  active  operations  in  a  very  short 
time. 

I  have  made  analyses  of  the  ore  from  this  lead,  and 
have  had  the  same  verified  from  a  number  of  surface  open- 
ings, which  showed  from  10  to  12.49  per  cent  metallic  cop- 
per. This  lead  varies  in  width  from  six  to  thirty  feet,  has 
been  worked  to  a  depth  of  300  feet  and  evidently  is  a  true 
fissure  encased  in  schist  walls. 

The  Virgilina  district  is  beyond  a  doubt  the  most  im- 
portant field  in  the  state,  and  I  believe  in  the  future  will 
become  one  of  the  safe  and  great  copper  producing  dis- 
tricts of  the  world.  The  country  rock  is  schist,  the  ore  is 
found  in  quartz,  true  lenticular  fissures.  This  field  has 
been  quite  well  developed  and  has  been  a  constant  producer 
for  a  number  of  years.  Several  of  the  mines  have  been 
worked  to  a  depth  of  400  feet  and  are  still  in  ore.  The 
veins  vary  in  thickness  from  three  to  twenty-six  feet  and 
range  in  metallic  content  from  1.5  to  85  per  cent,  carrying 
no  arsenic  or  antimony,  but  appreciable  quantities  of  gold 


140  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

and  silver.  The  copper  is  found  as  chalcocite,  chalcopyrite, 
bornite,  azurite  and  malachite,  and  is  beyond  a  doubt  one 
of  the  prettiest  ores  found  in  the  world. 

This  field  is  about  three  miles  wide  and  extends  with 
practically  no  cut-out  for  75  miles  to  the  northeast  and  for 
50  miles  to  the  southwest  into  North  Carolina. 

I  see  a  bright  furture  for  Virgilina;  already  a  smelter 
has  been  erected  at  Port  Norfolk  having  a  capacity  of  400 
tons  per  day,  and  preparations  are  being  made  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  large  and  modern  smelter  having  a  daily  capacity 
of  6,000  tons  in  the  same  port,  this  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
care  of  the  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  ores,  and  providing 
in  advance  for  the  ores  from  Cuba,  Santo  Domingo,  Chili, 
Peru  and  Mexico.  This  at  a  point  where  coal,  coke,  lime- 
stone, labor  and  other  facilities  are  cheap  and  abundant; 
where  transportation  facilities  are  the  best  and  the  largest 
consuming  markets  right  at  the  door.  It  is  not  difficult  to 
understand  the  far-seeing  wisdom  of  the  promoter  of  this 
gigantic  enterprise. 

Manganese. 

To  speak  of  manganese  is  but  to  know  that  Virginia 
'practically  produces  all  this  ore  mined  in  the  United  States 
today.  In  the  Shenandoah  valley,  in  the  secondary  ridges 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  for  a  hundred  miles  or  more,  is  found 
the  manganese  imbedded  in  clay.  Practically  all  manga- 
nese found  in  Virginia  is  the  oxide,  principally  Psilomelane 
and  Pyrolusite.  The  ore  of  the  valley  carries  from  45  to 
80  per  cent  manganese,  averaging  over  50  per  cent,  and 
comparatively  free  from  impurities.  At  one  time  covering 
a  period  of  more  than  four  years,  nearly  all  the  manganese 
consumed  in  Pittsburgh  came  from  one  mine  in  Augusta 
county,  namely  the  Crimora.  This  mine  produced  more 
than  30,000  tons  per  year. 

At  the  present  several  small  mines  are  in  operation, 
the  product  being  ground  for  use  in  the  brick,  foundry  and 
chemical  industries  of  the  country.  That  this  field  will  be- 
come a  great  producer  in  the  future  is  beyond  a  doubt. 

In  Piedmont,  Virginia,  passing  through  practically 
every  county  of  the  state  from  Pittsylvania  on  the  south  to 


THE   MINERAL  RESOURCES  OP  VIRGINIA.  141 

the  Potomac  on  the  north,  much  manganese  is  found,  but 
no  development  work  has  been  attempted  except  near 
Lynchburg,  where  several  good  mines  are  in  operation. 
This  manganese  is  more  siliceous  than  that  from  the  valley, 
is  found  in  pockets,  but  indications  are  that  the  quantity 
is  large. 

The  largest  but  least  known  manganese  belt  is  found 
in  the  mountainous  districts  of  Virginia,  in  the  counties  of 
Washington,  Grayson,  Smyth,  Wythe,  Pulaski,  Floyd,  Giles, 
Montgomery,  Craig,  Botetourt  and  other  counties  to  the 
north.  This  is  a  true  stratified  deposit,  will  vary  from  two 
to  twenty  feet  in  thickness  and  carries  from  40  to  45  per 
cent  manganese;  from  3  to  15  in  iron;  comparatively  free 
from  sulphur,  but  variable  in  phosphorus.  Very  little  de- 
velopment work  has  been  done  on  this  lead,  but  the  future 
will  see  some  very  important  developments. 

Lead  and  Zinc. 

The  zinc  produced  in  Virginia  is  famous  the  world 
over.  It  is  the  government  standard,  99%  per  cent  pure, 
Bertha  pure  spelter,  manufactured  from  the  calamine  ores 
in  Pulaski  and  Wythe  counties.  This  plant  has  been  in 
operation  for  many  years  and  continues  to  be  a  very  satis- 
factory producer.  Several  other  companies  are  operating 
or  building  smelters  in  Virginia,  but  not  for  the  purpose 
of  working  the  silicates.  We  have  enormous  deposits  of 
sulphite  or  sphalerite  ores  in  Virginia,  carrying  from  30 
to  60  per  cent  zinc  and  very  rich  in  lead.  Thousands  of 
dollars  have  been  spent  in  experimenting  for  the  separation 
of  the  lead  and  zinc,  difficulty  being  experienced  on  account 
of  the  peculiar  blend  and  specific  gravity.  Until  this  ex- 
periment has  been  demonstrated  to  be  a  real  success  the 
zinc  industry  in  Virginia  will  not  take  on  much  additional 
life.  This  is  a  true  stratified  deposit,  found  between  walls 
of  limestone,  and  at  the  point  where  it  crosses  the  New 
river,  actual  measurements  show  the  ore  bearing  strata  to 
be  500  feet  wide,  some  of  the  mineral  strata  being  20  feet 
without  the  intervention  of  gangue. 

Lead  is  found    in   Eockingham,    Shenandoah,    Floyd, 


142  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Wythe,  Smytii  and  Tazewell  counties.  Only  one  mine  is  in 
operation,  that  in  Smytii  county.  The  lead,  a  galena,  is 
found  between  limestone  walls,  varies  from  two  to  six  feet 
wide  in  two  parallel  veins,  about  fifty  feet  of  limestone  in- 
tervening. This  mine  is  now  about  170  feet  deep,  the  vein 
growing  wider  and  richer  with  depth.  This  ore  will  aver- 
age about  50  per  cent  lead. 

In  Wythe  county,  lead  was  mined  200  years  ago,  and 
in  1747,  at  Jackson's  Ferry,  the  old  shot  tower,  110  feet 
high,  was  erected  and  is  still  standing,  a  silent  monument 
to  revolutionary  times,  where  much  of  the  shot  and  bullets 
for  Washington's  army  was  manufactured. 

Miscellaneous. 

Many  other  minerals  are  found  in  the  Old  Dominion, 
and  that  in  economic  quantities.  Nickel  in  the  pyrrhotite 
and  sulphide  has  been  discovered  in  Floyd  county  and  a 
strong  Boston  company  for  the  past  four  years  has  been 
developing  the  same,  and  now  is  making  preparations  for 
the  erection  of  a  smelter  and  the  operation  of  their  mines 
on  a  large  scale. 

Pittsburgh  capital  a  few  years  since  discovered  and 
developed  an  arsenic  deposit  in  this  same  county,  but 
simply  on  account  of  disaffections  in  the  company  did  the 
venture  prove  a  failure,  since  several  hundred  tons  of  sub- 
limed arsenic  was  produced  in  this  modern  establishment, 
which  in  the  future  will  be  reorganized.  Gold  and  silver 
are  found  in  many  of  the  counties  of  Virginia.  Two  active 
and  very  profitable  mines  are  in  constant  operation  in  the 
Virgilina  field,  making  their  owners  rich.  Another  large 
mine  is  in  operation  in  Fluvanna  county,  while  several  other 
counties,  among  them  Floyd  and  Carroll,  have  in  the  past 
been  producers  of  the  precious  metal. 

Iron  pyrites  are  found  in  Louisa  and  Spottsylvania 
counties,  and  several  hundred  thousand  tons  are  recovered 
annually  for  use  in  the  fertilizer  and  chemical  plants  of  the 
state.  Tin  has  been  mined  in  Eockbridge  county,  where  a 
large  mining  plant  is  going  to  ruin  on  account  of  dissen- 
sions among  the  owners. 


THE   MINERAL  RESOURCES   OF   VIRGINIA.  143 

Ochre,  all  colors,  and  other  pigments  are  found  in  many 
counties  of  the  state.  Millions  of  tons  are  awaiting  devel- 
opment. The  quality  is  fine  and  the  future  will  see  it 
utilized.  Garnets  are  found  in  Floyd;  fairy  stones  or  stau- 
reolites,  in  Patrick;  amethysts  and  allanite  in  Amherst; 
amazonite  in  Amelia;  satin  spar  in  Rockingham;  barite  in 
many  of  the  counties  of  the  Piedmont  districts  and  valley 
of  Virginia.  Other  gems  found  in  the  state  are  diamond, 
quartz,  andradite,  beryl,  apatite,  kyanite,  fluorite,  micro- 
lite,  columbite  and  helvite  from  the  counties  of  Amelia, 
Buckingham,  Hanover,  Nelson,  Bedford  and  Spottsylvania. 
In  fact,  I  could  name  a  score  or  more  other  minerals  prac- 
tically unknown  except  locally,  that  are  produced  in  the  Old 
Dominion,  many  of  which  in  the  future  will  become  valu- 
able and  develop  into  profitable  industries. 

Conclusions. 

Thus  I  have  reviewed  the  mineral  resources  of  Virginia. 
It  sounds  like  a  fairy  tale,  but  it  is  nevertheless  true.  Year 
after  year,  the  possibilities  of  these  vast  undeveloped  min- 
erals are  presented  to  both  investors  and  scientists.  Year 
after  year  more  people  are  converted  to  our  story,  and,  be- 
lieving, come  to  investigate  and  then  invest.  It  is  this  con- 
stant and  eager  clamor  for  information  that  has  led  to  the 
establishment  of  the  Virginia  State  Geological  survey,  with 
Dr.  Watson  as  its  head.  It  was  a  demand  for  information 
that  prompted  the  Norfolk  .&  Western  railway  to  employ 
a  mineralogist  for  the  intelligent  presentation  of  facts  per- 
taining to  the  vast  undeveloped  and  practically  unknown 
resources  along  their  line,  to  its  thousands  of  inquiries. 
It  is  the  ever-increasing  desire  on  the  part  of  the  people 
to  be  led  aright  that  prompts  me  in  indulging  your  patience 
here  today. 

It  is  a  collection  of  the  foregoing  that  has  resulted  in 
the  investment  of  more  than  $50,000,000  dollars  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  coal  industry  of  the  state;  $20,000,000  in 
the  iron  industry;  $1,000,000  in  the  gypsum  fields,  and  many 
millions  more  in  the  other  minerals  to  which  I  have  directed 
your  attention.  It  is  strides  like  the  following  that  are 


144  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

educational:  In  1880  Virginia  produced  29,934  tons  of  pig 
iron;  in  1907,  478,771  tons;  in  1880  no  coke;  in  1907  1,545,280 
tons.  In  1882  the  mineral  production  was  $1,348,195.00;  in 
1907,  $19,313,182.00.  In  1880  there  was  mined  43,079  tons 
of  coal;  in  1907,  4,710,895.  In  1880  there  was  mined  243,- 
542  tons  of  iron  ore;  in  1907  it  had  grown  to  786,856  tons. 
In  1881  we  had  1,893  miles  of  railway;  in  1907,  4,337  miles. 
We  have,  at  a  minimum,  over  700,000  estimated  undevel- 
oped horsepower  of  water  power.  In  1880  the  national 
bank  deposits  were  $2,040,125.00;  in  1907  they  had  grown 
to  $56,412,346.00.  In  1880  the  total  wealth  of  Virginia  was 
about  $700,000,000.00;  now  it  is  more  than  twice  this  sum. 
And  thus  I  might  make  comparisons  not  only  with  the 
state,  but  comparisons  with  other  states.  And  all  this  in 
the  past  twenty-five  years;  the  investments  have  risen  from 
a  few  million  to  more  than  one  hundred  million  invested  in 
the  mineral  industry  alone,  this  not  including  the  allied 
industries. 

And  this  is  but  the  dawning  of  the  day;  what  of  the 
morrow?  Twenty  years  hence  will  be  a  revelation.  Already 
the  state  of  New  York  has  proven  nearly  two  billion  tons 
of  iron  ore  reserve.  Pennsylvania  will  add  several  hundred 
millions  more.  Virginia  has  several  billion;  followed  by 
Tennessee  and  North  Carolina  with  a  billion  each;  Alabama 
with  her  two  or  three  billion,  while  Georgia  and  Kentucky 
will  aid  in  swelling  this  great  total.  Coal  in  abundance 
totaling  hundreds  of  billions  of  tons;  limestone,  clays  and 
shales  without  computation.  Virginia's  water  power,  de- 
veloped and  undeveloped,  cannot  be  surpassed  by  any  other 
state.  She  has  the  finest  harbor  in  the  world.  Absolute 
harmony  among  all.  Mineral  water  surpassing  any  state 
of  the  Union,  and  now  the  banner  shipper  of  the  United 
States.  Thus  twenty  years  hence  will  see  such  activity 
among  us  that  verily  it  will  be  said  the  Old  Dominion  is 
coming  to  her  own. 

I  trust  that  each  and  all  of  you  will  consider  what  I 
have  said  and  that  you  will  not  say  impossible,  but  one 
and  all  come  to  Old  Virginia  and  see  and  learn  for  yourself. 
The  opportunity  is  at  hand;  we  accord  you  a  hearty  wel- 


THE   MINERAL   RESOURCES   OF   VIRGINIA.  14 5 

come,  just  and  equable  laws,  best  of  society  and  co-opera- 
tion.    My  message  is  finished,  and  I  thank  you  most  kindly 
for  this  opportunity  of  telling  you  something  of  our  South 
ern  resources. 


Mineral  Resources  of  Arkansas. 


BY  A.   W.   ESTES,   YELLVILLE,  ARK. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Arkansas  is  by  nature 
especially  adapted  to  agricultural  pursuits,  producing  in 
profusion  all  of  the  farm  crops  which  are  grown  in  any 
other  part  of  this  Union,  she  has  also  for  a  number  of 
years  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  the  production  of 
lumber  from  her  various  forests  of  pine,  oak,  cypress,  hick- 
ory and  many  other  useful  varieties  of  commercial  timber; 
yet  the  mineral  resources  of  the  state  have  until  recent 
years  been  practically  unknown  and  neglected,  even  by 
our  own  people;  while  so  far  as  a  real  knowledge  of  the 
great  mineral  resources  of  Arkansas  are  concerned,  the 
public  today  has  only  a  faint  idea. 

Arkansas  is  an  old  state  in  many  respects,  having  been 
admitted  into  the  Union  long  before  many  of  her  sister 
states,  which  have  outstripped  her  in  the  progress  of  de- 
velopment. But  in  point  of  natural  resources,  considered 
from  the  standpoint  of  diversity,  usefulness,  volume  and 
quantity,  as  well  as  that  of  development,  Arkansas  is  the 
newest  state  in  the  sisterhood  today. 

In  keeping  with  the  subject  assigned  me  for  this  occa- 
sion, however,  I  shall  only  undertake  to  briefly  tell  you 
something  about  the  mineral  resources  of  this  new  terri- 
tory. More  than  7,000,000  acres  of  the  area  of  the  state 
contains  valuable  mineral  deposits,  although  the  field  is 
practically  undeveloped.  The  minerals  of  the  state  are  of 
a  class  such  as  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  staple  arti- 
cles and  are  so  grouped  with  reference  to  fuel,  water  power, 
etc.,  as  to  bring  the  cost  of  production  to  the  minimum. 

Zinc  and  Lead. 

Of  the  metal  deposits  in  Arkansas  zinc  and  lead 
strongly  predominate.  The  field  in  which  these  valuable 
deposits  are  located  is  in  the  north  central  portion  of  the 
state  on  the  Ozark  Mountain  range,  about  100  miles  south- 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OP  ARKANSAS.  147 

east  of  the  Missouri-Kansas  field,  which  is  situated  on  the 
crest  of  the  same  range.  The  district  comprises  five  coun- 
ties, including  the  whole  of  Marion  county  and  a  portion  of 
the  bordering  counties  of  Baxter,  Searcy,  Boone  and  New- 
ton. 

Two  distinct  ore  levels  occur  in  this  field,  locally 
termed  the  upper  and  the  lower  run.  The  upper  run  occurs 
in  the  mountain  about  200  feet  below  the  apex  and  on  the 
same  range  or  level  in  which  the  zinc  deposits  in  the  Mis- 
souri-Kansas district  are  found.  The  mountain  streams 
in  the  northern  Arkansas  field  have  by  erosion  cut  their 
way  below  these  ore  levels,  and  left  exposed  along  the 
mountain  side  the  ore  bearing  ledges,  thus  rendering  pros- 
pecting on  the  upper  run  extremely  easy  and  certain. 

In  the  opinion  of  geologists  and  mining  engineers  who 
have  carefully  studied  the  upper  ore  levels,  these  deposits 
extend  through  the  mountains  from  one  side  to  the  other, 
as  in  many  instances  the  ore  bearing  levels  are  found 
cropping  out  at  the  surface  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  same 
mountain  at  the  same  level.  As  an  evidence  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  these  conclusions,  prospect  tunnels  have  re- 
vealed the  continuous  presence  of  the  ore  bodies  as  far  as 
700  feet  into  the  mountains.  As  a  rule  the  ore  deposits 
grow  heavier  and  richer  as  depth  into  the  mountain  is 
reached.  Anticipating  the  suggestion  that  enduring  de- 
posits of  zinc  and  lead  cannot  be  expected  to  exist  above 
the  water  level,  it  is  not  considered  out  of  place  to  here  call 
attention  to  the  fact  that  numerous  living  springs  flow 
from  these  mountains,  many  of  them  from  above  the  upper 
ore  run,  and  it  rarely  occurs  that  living  water  is  not  en- 
countered in  prospecting  before  a  distance  of  200  feet  into 
the  mountain  is  reached,  although  little  or  no  additional 
expense  is  incurred  thereby,  as  natural  drainage  of  the 
mine  can  be  had.  The  lower  ore  level  above  referred  to 
occurs  from  25  to  150  feet  below  the  level  of  the  valleys, 
and  in  many  instances  200  feet  below  the  upper  run. 

Prospect  drilling  in  almost  every  local  camp  in  the  dis- 
trict has  proven  the  presence  of  lower  ore  runs,  ranging 
from  10  to  49  feet  in  thickness,  while  many  shafts  have 


148  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

more  than  verified  these  records.  In  some  instances  the 
ground  on  the  lower  level  is  found  to  carry  as  high  as  15 
per  cent,  and  rarely  falls  below  five  per  cent,  and  the  pro- 
duct maintains  the  highest  standard  of  purity,  assaying 
from  60  to  65  per  cent  metallic  zinc. 

That  the  zinc  and  lead  district  of  Arkansas  is  officially 
recognized  by  eminent  geologists  as  being  one  of  proven 
merit,  reference  is  here  made  to  government  reports;  Vol. 
24,  United  States  Geological  Survey;  of  zinc  and  lead  dis- 
tricts in  northern  Arkansas  by  Geo.  I.  Adams;  also  Vol.  V, 
Geological  Survey,  by  Dr.  John  C.  Branner,  former  state 
Geologist  of  Arkansas,  now  of  Leland-Stanford  University. 
The  opinions  of  these  eminent  authorities  have  since  been 
thoroughly  supported  by  the  practical  application  of  the 
pick  and  shovel. 

Until  recently  the  Arkansas  zinc  and  lead  district  was 
destitute  of  railroad  facilities,  which  fact  may  be  properly 
assigned  as  a  reason  for  the  backwardness  of  the  develop- 
ment of  mining.  In  1906  the  Missouri  Pacific  constructed 
a  line  connecting  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  Memphis,  Tenn., 
known  as  the  White  River  Division.  This  line  passes 
through  the  zinc  and  lead  district  by  way  of  Yellville,  the 
county  seat  of  Marion  county.  Since  that  time  much  valu- 
able development  has  been  done,  and  considerable  ore  has 
been  shipped  from  the  new  mines  of  the  district.  Now  elec- 
tric lines,  to  be  supported  with  water  power  from  the  White 
and  Buffalo  rivers,  are  projected  into  several  of  the  most 
important  camps,  and  many  new  mining  enterprises  are 
being  planned.  As  to  the  excellency  of  the  ores  from  this 
district  which  are  practically  free  from  pyrites  and  other 
objectionable  substances,  attention  is  here  called  to  the  fact 
that  a  solid  chunk  of  zinc  ore  weighing  12,700  pounds,  which 
was  taken  from  a  mine  in  Marion  county  and  exhibited  at 
the  Columbia  Exposition,  Chicago,  1893,  was  given  the 
highest  award.  This  sample  which  is  the  largest  piece  of 
pure  zinc  ore  ever  taken  from  the  ground,  is  now  on  exhibi- 
tion in  Field's  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago.  Arkansas 
Zinc  Exhibit  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  in  1904 
was  awarded  the  gold  medal  over  all  competition.  High- 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OP  ARKANSAS.  149 

est  honors  were  given  the  Arkansas  zinc  and  lead  exhibit 
from  the  Yellville  district  at  the  American  Mining  Con- 
gress, Joplin,  Missouri,  1907,  at  which  all  camps  in  the 
Missouri-Kansas  district  were  competitors  for  the  prize,  and 
the  collection  of  ores  sent  from  Yellville,  Arkansas,  to  the 
present  session  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  will  serve 
to  remove  any  doubt  that  may  lurk  in  the  minds  of  those 
who  will  consent  to  being  shown. 

Coal. 

The  coal  fields  of  Arkansas  are  located  in  the  west 
central  portion  of  the  state,  comprising  an  area  of  more 
than  seven  counties,  and  known  as  the  Fort  Smith  coal 
field.  The  field  extends  from  the  west  line  of  the  state 
down  the  Arkansas  river  valley  for  75  miles.  Its  extreme 
width  near  the  west  end  is  about  50  miles;  the  north  edge 
lies  up  to  the  southern  foothills  of  the  Ozark  Mountain 
ranges,  which  extend  from  the  vicinity  of  Little  Rock  west- 
ward across  the  state.  The  beds  have  an  average  thick- 
ness of  4^/2  feet,  the  thickness  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Smith 
being  greater.  A  comparatively  small  portion  of  the  coal 
region  is  being  worked.  The  beds  occur  in  rock  which 
correspond  in  age  to  the  lower  coal  measures  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania field.  The  Arkansas  coal  is  bituminous,  semi-bitumi- 
nous and  semi-anthracite.  Over  3,000,000  acres  produce 
the  smokeless  coal  of  a  superior  quality. 

Beauxite. 

The  beauxite  beds  of  Arkansas  are  larger  than  those 
of  all  other  regions  combined;  they  are  located  from  10  to 
20  miles  from  Little  Rock,  the  capital  of  the  state,  with  few 
exceptions  of  small  deposits  in  Georgia  and  Alabama.  The 
beauxite  beds  of  Arkansas  are  the  only  ones  located  in  the 
Western  hemisphere,  and  the  state  now  has  19  quarries  in 
operation.  The  Arkansas  product  excels  in  quality  that 
found  in  any  other  part  of  the  country,  carrying  from  45  to 
75  per  cent  aluminum.  It  is  quarried  instead  of  mined  and 
at  a  comparatively  small  expense. 

Marble. 
Marble  in  large  deposits  occurs  in  the  northern  tier  of 


150  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

counties.  The  Arkansas  marbles  have  in  general  a  softer, 
warmer  color  than  others,  which  is  generally  in  their  favor. 
The  beds  occur  in  an  elevated  region  where  the  stratas  are 
horizontal.  It  is  mostly  comprised  in  two  beds;  one  is 
the  St.  Glair  in  the  lower  Silurian,  the  other  the  St.  Joe,  at 
or  near  the  bottom  of  the  lower  carboniferous.  The  natural 
advantages  of  this  locality  for  quarrying  dimension  stone 
or  for  lime  burning  are  unusually  good,  as  everywhere  is 
growing  an  almost  unlimited  amount  of  wood  for  lime  burn- 
ing, and  the  strata  usually  outcropping  on  the  hillside, 
making  it  easy  of  access  for  both  quarrying  and  loading. 

Granite. 

Arkansas  contains  more  variety  of  commercial  stone 
than  any  other  similar  area  of  the  globe,  and  all  of  a  su- 
perior quality.  Just  three  miles  south  of  Little  Rock  in 
Pulaski  county  is  a  mass  of  blue  and  grey  granite,  which 
has  been  subjected  to  every  test  and  in  every  instance 
proved  to  be  superior  to  any  other  in  the  world. 

Clay. 

The  clays  of  Arkansas  cover  a  vast  area,  and  are  of 
great  variety.  There  is  no  article  of  commerce  which  is 
made  of  clay,  from  the  finest  and  most  delicate  china  to 
the  cheapest  of  brick,  which  cannot  be  manufactured  from 
the  clay  of  Arkansas. 

Fullers  Earth. 

Considerable  quantities  of  this  mineral  are  being  mar- 
keted from  Arkansas;  the  deposits  being  profitably  worked 
at  this  time  are  located  in  the  vicinity  of  Hot  Springs. 

Diamonds. 

In  addition  to  the  great  varied  mineral  resources  of 
Arkansas,  we  also  have  the  distinction  and  pride  of  pos- 
sessing the  only  diamond  mines  outside  of  South  Africa, 
and  while  our  former  state  geologist  in  his  report  in  1889 
mentioned  the  fact  of  a  similarity  of  the  Pike  county  dia- 
mond field  to  that  in  the  Kimberly  district  of  South  Africa, 
development  was  not  started,  and  no  diamonds  were  found 
until  1905,  and  since  that  date  under  crude  development 
more  than  700  genuine  diamonds  have  been  found.  Ex- 


MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  ARKANSAS.  151 

perts  pronounce  these  diamonds  of  the  purest  water,  equal 
to  those  found  in  the  Kimberly  fields  of  South  Africa.  At 
this  time  active  development  is  being  carried  on  and  plants 
of  the  required  capacity  are  being  planned  for  the  mining 
of  these  precious  stones. 

The  following  additional  minerals  are  known  to  exist  in 
the  state,  although  some  of  them  have  not  been  sufficiently 
developed  to  determine  their  extent,  viz:  Antimony,  as- 
phaltum,  copper,  bismuth,  cement,  chalk,  iron,  colon,  man- 
ganese, nickel,  ochre,  phosphate,  salt  peter,  salt,  soapstone, 
shale  and  slate. 


Conservation  in  the  Coal  Industry,  Protection  of  Life  and 
Prevention  of  Waste. 


BY  GLENN  W.  TRAER,  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  ILLINOIS  COAL 
OPERATORS'  ASSOCIATION. 

The  protection  of  human  beings  from  death  and  injury 
by  avoidable  accidents  is  one  of  the  highest  moral  duties, 
not  only  in  the  mining  industry  but  in  every  phase  of  human 
life  and  activity.  The  failure  to  recognize  this  duty  shows 
a  lack  of  moral  sense,  for1  want  of  which  ancient  nations  and 
races  declined  and  died.  The  existence  of  that  moral  sense 
is  the  safe  foundation  of  our  modern  civilization. 

But  it  is  not  merely  a  moral  duty;  it  is  also  conservation 
in  the  highest  sense.  Every  human  life  is  an  asset— either 
actual  or  potential,  to  human  society,  even  if  the  matter  is 
looked  at  in  cold  blood. 

It  has  been  customary  in  the  past  to  attribute  practi- 
cally all  coal  mining  disasters  to  the  wilful  neglect  or  gross 
carelessness  of  coal  mine  operators.  In  my  opinion  few 
owners  of  mines  in  this  country  will  be  found  lacking  in  a 
due  and  proper  sense  of  humanity  with  regard  to  protecting 
human  life  and  avoiding  human  suffering.  If  any  should 
be  found,  their  conduct  would  meet  with  prompt  condemna- 
tion not  only  from  the  general  public,  but  from  associates 
in  their  own  line  of  business. 

The  greatest  disasters  usually  arise  from  causes  not 
fully  understood  by  either  practical  men  or  scientific  men 
and  after  such  occurrences  great  diversity  of  opinion  fre- 
quently exists.  Every  right  minded  person  connected  with 
the  industry  is  striving  to  find  the  cause  of  the  terrible 
tragedies  which  occur  in  coal  mines  and  to  find  means  of 
prevention. 

In  the  tense  and  exacting  struggle  for  that  commercial 
efficiency  without  which  no  employer  can  long  exist  as  such 
and  overwhelmed  with  the  cares  and  details  of  business, 
employers  do  not  always  foresee  the  occurrence  of  lesser 
accidents.  Therefore  mining  laws  have  been  enacted,  which 


CONSERVATION   IN   THE    COAL   INDUSTRY.  153 

undertake  to  foresee  and  which  specify  in  a  great  multitude 
of  particulars,  the  practical  duties  required  of  employers, 
and  the  necessity  for  protective  laws  does  not  exist  entirely 
on  account  of  employers'  acts  or  omissions.  They  also  un- 
dertake to  restrict  and  punish  reckless  conduct  on  the  part 
of  employes  and  wilful  disregard  of  the  lives  and  safety  of 
their  brother  workmen.  In  many  cases  these  laws  are  en- 
forced only  with  great  difficulty  and  in  other  cases  not  at 
all.  Large  numbers  of  coal  miners  in  Illinois  insist  upon 
blasting  coal  from  the  solid  face  of  the  coal  in  the  mine, 
instead  of  undercutting  it  so  as  to  present  less  resistance  to 
the  blasting  shots.  This  practice  is  notoriously  dangerous 
and  recently  has  been  condemned  by  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Mining  Experts  brought  to  this  country  by  the  Technologi- 
cal branch  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey.  It  is 
accompanied  by  an  excessive  and  reckless  use  of  powder, 
which  results  in  a  combination  of  conditions  involving  the 
danger  of  great  disaster.  The  practice  is  defended  by  the 
miners  on  the  ground  that  they  are  not  paid  to  do  this 
cutting,  even  though  in  many  mines  this  undercutting  was 
being  done  by  the  miners  as  a  part  of  the  work  covered  by 
the  price  per  ton  paid  them,  at  the  time  when  the  present 
relative  scale  of  mining  wages  as  between  districts  was  es- 
tablished; and  the  requirement  for  undercutting  the  coal 
was  explicitly  stated  in  the  language  of  the  joint  contract 
between  the  mine  owners '  and  the  miners '  respective  organi- 
zations. The  same  relative  scale  of  mining  wages  as  be- 
tween districts,  and  the  same  language  specifying  the  duties 
of  the  miners  in  consideration  of  such  wages,  has  been  pre- 
served in  this  joint  contract  for  ten  years  and  during  that 
time  the  blasting  of  coal  from  the  solid  has  continued  to 
spread.  By  way  of  confession  and  avoidance  it  is  pleaded 
that  mine  owners  have  consented  to  the  extension  of  the 
practice.  If  submission  under  duress  may  be  properly 
termed  consent,  doubtless  mine  owners  have  consented. 

After  years  of  experience  I  can  honestly  say,  as  far  as 
my  knowledge  goes,  all  laws  which  have  been  animated 
only  by  a  sincere  and  honest  purpose  to  protect  employes 
from  death  and  accident  from  any  cause  under  the  control 


154  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

of  the  employer,  have  met  with  the  prompt  obedience  of 
coal  mine  owners.  Bitter  opposition  and  resentment  have 
been  aroused  by  attempts,  sometimes  successful,  to  shape 
such  laws  to  secure  advantages  to  working  men,  in  no  way 
necessarily  incidental  to  the  proper  purposes  of  the  laws. 
Laws  have  been  enacted  not  merely  for  the  protection  of 
human  lives,  but  including  also  the  purpose  of  shifting  from 
miners  to  mine  owners,  expenses  and  duties  clearly  specified 
in  previous  bases  of  wages  as  being  included  in  the  com- 
pensation paid  to  the  miners. 

One  more  illustration.  The  present  Miners  Qualifica- 
tion act  in  Illinois  places  the  control  of  the  supply  of  mining 
labor  under  the  power  of  the  present  miners'  organization. 
For  all  practical  purposes  under  this  law  the  present  miners ' 
organization  has  an  absolute  monopoly  of  mining  labor  in 
the  state  of  Illinois.  The  law  provides  that  the  examining 
boards  for  the  admission  of  new  members  shall  be  drawn 
from  the  ranks  of  the  miners  only.  No  other  interest  is  rec- 
ognized in  the  appointment  of  such  boards,  even  though  it 
is  well  known  to  everyone  having  any  practical  knowledge 
of  coal  mining,  that  coal  miners  as  a  rule  are  not  as  well 
qualified  for  such  positions  as  many  men  who  are  not  sub- 
ject to  the  power  and  influence  of  the  miners '  organization. 
It  is  much  as  though  only  members  of  the  Standard  Oil  Com- 
pany were  made  available  as  members  of  an  examining 
board  for  determining  the  rights  of  persons  desiring  to  en- 
gage in  the  oil  business.  Resentment  and  opposition  to 
such  methods  will  continue,  but  in  the  matter  of  framing 
and  enacting  laws  animated  by  a  proper  spirit  only,  coal 
mine  owners  have  given  their  assistance  freely  and  cheer- 
fully in  the  past  and  may  be  relied  upon  to  do  so  in  the 
future. 

I  feel  safe  in  saying  that  the  Illinois  Coal  Operators'  As- 
sociation would  favor  a  plan  whereby  all  proposed  mining 
laws  would  be  submitted  to  the  consideration  of  a  special 
commission,  to  be  composed  of  representatives  of  the  em- 
ployers and  of  the  employes  and  of  disinterested  appointees 
of  the  Governor,  for  the  recommendation  of  such  a  body  to 
the  legislature.  As  time  passes,  the  researches  of  scientific 


CONSERVATION   IN   THE    COAL   INDUSTRY.  155 

and  practical  minds,  added  to  fuller  experience  and  greater 
knowledge  on  the  part  of  all  concerned,  may  be  expected  to 
point  the  way  to  further  safeguards.  In  the  meantime  let 
the  present  laws  be  rigidly  enforced  against  the  wrongful 
acts  and  omissions  of  employes  as  well  as  employers — some- 
thing that  is  not  now  always  done.  Where  methods  of  state 
mine  inspection  may  be  better  organized  or  otherwise  im- 
proved, it  should  be  done ;  and  wherever  state  mine  inspect- 
ors should  have  greater  scope  and  power  for  the  enforce- 
ment of  laws  against  all  offenders,  it  should  be  given. 

Given  accurate  knowledge  of  what  it  is  necessary  or  de- 
sirable to  do,  the  conservation  of  human  life  should  be  com- 
paratively simple. 

But  conservation  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  w  )rd, 
when  applied  to  all  phases  of  the  coal  mining  industry,  is  a 
matter  about  which  ideas  are  much  less  clear.  It  is  a  com- 
plex problem.  It  involves  much  more  perfect  economy  in 
the  use  of  coal.  It  raises  complex  practical  questions  as  to 
how  far  mine  owners  may  be  properly  required  by  law  to 
extract  much  of  the  coal  which  is  now  left  in  the  ground  for 
various  reasons  and  which  can  never  be  recovered  hereafter. 
It  also  raises  the  question  of  how  far  voluntary  conservation 
of  coal  in  the  ground  may  be  reasonably  expected  of  mine 
owners,  without  a  radical  improvement  of  economic  condi- 
tions in  many  coal  mining  districts. 

The  more  perfect  utilization  of  the  potential  energy  in 
coal  is  an  important  branch  of  this  subject.  The  responsi- 
bility in  this  respect  rests  upon  the  consumer.  Vastly  the 
greater  part  of  all  bituminous  coal  is  used  for  generating 
power.  Coal  for  these  purposes  is  so  cheap  that  its  perfect 
utilization,  even  in  a  practical  sense,  has  not  sufficiently 
interested  consumers.  The  great  transportation  and  manu- 
facturing interests  of  the  United  States,  as  a  rule,  pay  less 
than  half  the  price  for  coal  paid  by  similar  consumers  in 
Great  Britain  and  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  after  making 
allowances  for  differences  in  quality  where  they  exist. 

A  very  large  tonnage  of  coal  is  made  into  coke,  princi- 
pally for  smelting  iron  ores  and  for  other  metallurgical  pur- 
poses. In  the  coking  process,  the  volatile  combustible  mat- 


156  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

ter  in  the  coal  is  almost  entirely  wasted  in  almost  all  the 
coal  that  is  coked.  This  is  because  the  coal  is  coked  in  or- 
dinary bee-hive  ovens,  instead  of  in  by-product  ovens.  The 
energy  thus  wasted  bears  a  large  proportion  to  that  which  is 
finally  utilized.  This  volatile  combustible  matter  when 
treated  by  well  known  and  long  established  methods,  yields 
a  large  amount  of  combustible  gas.  It  also  yields  a  substan- 
tial amount  of  ammonia,  which  may  be  readily  turned  into  a 
valuable  fertilizer  for  supplying  nitrogen  to  the  soil.  It  also 
yields  a  large  amount  of  tar,  which  in  turn,  by  familiar 
methods,  may  be  turned  into  pitch  and  a  great  multitude  of 
other  valuable  chemical  substances. 

The  steam  engine  method  of  producing  power  by  burn- 
ing coal  in  steam  boiler  plants,  utilizes  but  a  small  propor- 
tion of  the  potential  energy  in  coal,  even  when  the  plants 
and  practices  are  of  the  best  modern  type.  At  the  same 
time  an  insignificant  percentage  of  the  steam  and  power 
plants  of  the  country  may  be  considered  efficient  in  their 
class.  High  class  steam  power  plants  require  a  very  large 
additional  investment  compared  with  the  ordinary  type  and 
coal  usually  has  been  too  cheap  to  induce  better  installation, 
in  the  face  of  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome.  At  the  pres- 
ent low  prices  paid  for  steam  coal  important  economy  is  still 
possible.  But  if  the  consumers  of  the  United  States  were 
obliged  to  pay  such  prices  for  coal  as  are  paid  in  foreign 
countries,  the  brains  of  American  industry  very  quickly 
would  effect  a  revolution  in  the  economical  use  of  coal  by 
the  steam  power  method  alone. 

But  still  greater  economy  is  practicable.  Probably  all 
of  the  ooals  now  commercially  known  in  the  United  States 
are  available  for  making  producer  gas  and  by  this  method 
and  by  greater  use  of  the  gas  engine  which  has  been  brought 
to  a  high  state  of  perfection  in  practical  use,  economies  may 
be  attained  which  it  is  difficult  to  overstate. 

Every  step  in  advance  in  the  more  perfect  utilization 
of  coal  will  mean  just  that  much  progress  in  the  abatement 
of  the  .^reat  national  smoke  nuisance.  The  public  is  gradu- 
ally corning  to  understand  something  that  scientific  men 
have  long  known;  smoke  from  bituminous  coal  means  n 


CONSERVATION   IN   THE    COAL   INDUSTRY.  157 

able  waste.  No  smoke  is  a  certain  indication  of  more  eco- 
nomical use. 

Practical  results  in  these  respects  can  be  obtained  only 
by  the  education  of  consumers  in  the  possibilities  and  such 
education  should  be  one  of  the  aims  of  the  great  national 
conservation  work  now  under  way.  No  intelligent  coal 
mine  owner  will  fear  the  results  of  fuel  conservation,  to  his 
property  or  as  affecting  reasonable  profits.  The  cheapen- 
ing of  power,  like  the  substitution  of  labor  saving  machin- 
ery, indirectly  will  create  a  vastly  greater  demand  for 
that  which  it  superficially  appears  to  supplant. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  under  our  present  forms  of  gov- 
ernment or  any  forms  which  the  people  of  this  nation  are 
likely  io  tolerate,  it  would  be  possible  to  effect  much  if 
anything  in  the  way  of  conservation  of  coal  in  the  ground 
now  privately  owned,  by  statutory  law  or  administrative 
regulation  by  departments  of  government. 

It  may  be  that  certain  regulations,  broadly  and  prop- 
erly designed  for  the  safety  of  human  beings,  may  also  tend 
toward  conservation  of  coal.  For  illustration,  a  require- 
ment that  all  coal  mines  opened  after  a  certain  date  should 
extract  the  coal  only  from  the  outer  boundaries  of  the  prop- 
erty toward  the  outlet  of  the  mine.  This  would  avoid  the 
existence  of  any  gobs  or  worked  out  areas  between  the 
working  faces  and  the  outlet,  would  lessen  danger  of  golj 
fires  and  of  accidents  from  falls  of  roof  on  the  principal 
haulage  ways  of  the  mine;  would  improve  ventilation  and 
lessen  the  danger  of  or  force  of  explosions.  Undoubtedly 
such  a  method  of  mining  coal  would  make  possible  the  ex- 
traction of  a  much  greater  proportion  of  the  entire  coal 
vein  than -is  now  taken  out.  Where  this  system  is  not  prac- 
ticable it  may  be  that  the  "full  panel"  system  may  be  a 
suitable  alternative,  at  least  partially  producing  the  same 
results  with  respect  to  safety  and  also  permitting  the  min- 
ing of  a  greater  proportion  of  coal.  Fuller  knowledge  de- 
rived from  experience,  experiment  and  careful  study  may 
disclose  other  possibilities  tending  toward  similar  results. 
But  the  extraction  of  a  greater  proportion  of  coal  than  is 
taken  out  by  the  present  methods  will  cause  serious  dam- 


158  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

age  by  subsidence,  to  highly  valuable  farming  lands  in  a 
great  many  cases,  and  particularly  is  this  true  in  Illinois. 
The  present  value  of  the  coal  in  the  ground  is  very  small 
compared  with  the  value  of  the  farm  overlying  it  and  which 
in  many  cases  would  be  practically  destroyed  by  the  re- 
moval of  all  the  coal  or  a  materially  greater  proportion  than 
at  present,  unless  some  new  method  can  be  devised  for  sup- 
porting the  roof,  which  will  be  available  under  commercial 
conditions  as  they  may  exist  from  time  to  time.  The  solu- 
tion of  this  problem,  like  those  already  referred  to,  will 
require  the  most  careful  experiment  and  study.  All  this 
experimental  work  and  study  may  be  very  properly  carried 
on  by  the  Federal  and  State  departments  in  co-operation 
and  should  receive  the  hearty  support  of  coal  mine  owners. 

But  control  by  statutory  laws  or  administrative  regula- 
tions, of  mere  general  methods  of  mining,  certainly  will 
interfere  with  private  rights  in  some  respects;  and  such  a 
method  never  should  be  resorted  to  until  after  the  most 
careful  investigation  and  study  and  a  full  hearing  of  those 
whose  private  rights  may  be  affected,  and  when  it  has  been 
clearly  demonstrated  that  interference  with  private  rights 
is  unavoidably  incidental  to  the  protection  of  human  beings 
or  the  interests  of  all  the  people. 

In  selling  or  leasing  coal  lands  now  owned  by  the  Fed- 
eral government,  regulations  may  be  lawfully  imposed  for 
conservation  of  the  coal  as  well  as  the  protection  of  life, 
and  it  seems  proper  to  presume  such  regulations  will  be 
imposed  by  the  government  bureaus  in  charge  of  such  prop- 
erties. The  extent  to  which  such  regulation  may  be  intelli- 
gently carried,  like  the  regulation  of  mining  of  coal  now 
privately  owned,  can  be  properly  determined  only  by  care- 
ful investigation,  study  and  experience. 

We  now  approach  a  phase  of  the  problem  in  which  the 
responsibility  and  duty  of  the  public  itself  requires  con- 
sideration equally  with  the  responsibility  and  duty  of  priv- 
ate owners  of  coal  mines. 

The  case  for  the  public  has  been  stated  by  Dr.  J.  A. 
Holmes  of  the  Technological  branch  of  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey,  in  his  discussion  of  the  conservation  of 


CONSERVATION   IN   THE    COAL   INDUSTRY.  159 

mineral  resources  at  the  White  House  conference  in  May, 
1908.  Dr.  Holmes  expresses  himself  substantially  as  fol- 
lows: 

"These  resources  which  have  required  count- 
less ages  for  their  accumulation,  which,  when  once 
exhausted  are  not  reproduced,  and  for  which  there 
are  no  known  substitutes,  must  serve  as  a  basis  for 
the  future  no  less  than  the  present  welfare  of  the 
nation.  No  human  agencies,  no  present  owners  of 
these  resources,  have  contributed  toward  their  ac- 
cumulation, or  to  their  intrinsic  values.  In  the 
highest  sense,  therefore,  they  should  be  regarded 
as  property  held  in  trust  or  for  the  use  of  the  race 
rather  than  for  a  single  generation,  and  property 
for  the  use  of  the  nation  rather  than  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  few  individuals  who  may  hold  them  by 
tho  right  of  discovery  or  purchase. 

"Measured  in  terms  of  the  needs  of  a  great 
and  rapidly  growing  nation,  the  mineral  resources 
of  this  country  are  limited  in  quantity. 

"There  are  no  recurring  supplies,  no  re-crea- 
tion with  the  seasons,  and  the  exhaustion  when 
once  accomplished  is  a  permanent  exhaustion. 

"Measured  in  terms  of  the  life  of  the  nation, 
at  the  present  increasing  rate  of  consumption  and 
waste,  we  will,  while  the  nation  is  yet  in  its  in- 
fancy, exhaust  permanently  resources  intended  as 
the  essential  basis  of  the  welfare  of  all  its  succeed- 
ing generations.  To  shirk  this  responsibility  with 
the  claim  that  these  succeeding  generations  will 
discover  other  unknown  resources  for  their  use  is 
illogical  and  unwarranted. 

"The  right  of  the  present  generation  to  use 
efficiently  of  these  resources  what  it  actually 
needs,  carries  with  it  a  sacred  obligation  not  to 
waste  this  precious  heritage. 

"The  right  to  profit  in  the  mining  and  subse- 
quent use  of  our  mineral  resources  does  not  carry 
with  it  the  right  to  destroy  the  birthright  of  gen- 


160  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

erations  yet  unborn,  in  order  that  we  of  today  may 
obtain  more  readily  and  more  cheaply  the  products 
we  need  for  present  use." 

Dr.  Holmes  is  candid  and  just  enough  also  to  state 
some  of  the  principal  points  in  the  case  for  the  mine  own- 
ers, as  follows: 

"We  cannot  deny  the  power  nor  the  right  of 
the  present  generation  to  use  efficiently  so  much  of 
these  resources  as  it  actually  needs: 

"We  cannot  curtail  present  needs  and  these 
needs  will  increase  as  there  is  increase  in  the  na- 
tion's  population,  and  in  the  extent  and  diversity 
of  its  industries: 

' '  We  cannot  expect  the  men  of  this  generation 
to  mine,  extract  or  use  these  resources  in  such  man- 
ner as  to  entail  continuous  financial  loss  them- 
sel  \^es,  in  order  that  something  may  be  left  for  the 
future.  Unless  there  are  profits  associated  with 
the  mineral  industry  there  will  be  no  mineral  in- 
dustry. 

"It  is  therefore  reasonable  to  expect  that  the 
users  of  mineral  products  will  pay  for  them  such 
higher  prices  as  will  make  profitable  their  mining 
and  preparation  without  serious  waste. 

"In  the  mining  of  coal  present  prices  of  the 
product  must  be  increased,  before  there  is  possible 
that  higher  but  more  costly  efficiency  in  practice 
which  is  necessary  if  we  are  to  eliminate  the  larger 
part  of  the  enormous  existing  waste.  And  legisla- 
tion intended  to  prevent  this  waste  in  mining 
and  utilization  of  mineral  resources  must  also  per- 
mit such  co-operation  among  those  engaged  in  the 
mining  industry  as  will  secure  the  increase  in 
prices  of  products  necessary  to  cover  the  greater 
cost  of  clean  mining." 

I  shall  not  undertake  to  controvert  Dr.  Holmes'  state- 
ment of  the  principles  upon  which  the  public  interest  in 
this  subject  is  based.  I  shall  devote  the  time  remaining 


CONSERVATION  IN  THE   COAL  INDUSTRY.  161 

at  my  disposal  on  this  occasion  to  an  explanation  of  the 
present  commercial  conditions  in  the  bituminous  coal  min- 
ing industry  especially  in  the  states  of  Illinois  and  Indiana, 
upon  which  I  base  the  assertion  that  the  present  vanishing 
or  vanished  profits  in  coal  mining  will  permit  of  no  increase 
in  the  cost  of  producing  coal,  without  an  equal  increase  in 
the  selling  price  thereof;  and  the  further  assertion  that  the 
public  itself  is  partially  responsible  for  these  conditions. 

For  many  years  the  people  of  this  nation  have  de- 
manded and  enforced  by  statutory  law  absolutely  unre- 
stricted and  unregulated  competition.  No  matter  how  de- 
structive and  wasteful  competition  may  be  or  how  reason- 
able or  beneficial  to  the  public  interests  restriction  or  reg- 
ulation might  be,  it  falls  under  the  absolute  ban  of  the  sta- 
tute and  is  punished  with  harsh  penalties. 

Our  present  statutory  anti-trust  laws  wholly  ignore 
the  natural  principle  that  reasonable  competition  and  rea- 
sonable combination  are  natural  counter  checks  upon  each 
other,  regardless  of  the  effect  of  ruinous  competition  upon 
the  future  of  one  of  our  most  valuable  national  resources. 

The  fear  of  monopoly  of  things  indispensible  to  the 
public  good  is  naturally  inherent  in  the  public  mind,  and  is 
no  more  than  the  instinct  of  self  preservation.  But  the  in- 
stinct of  self  preservation  in  this  instance  could  and  should 
secure  actual  and  genuine  self  protection  instead  of  relying 
upon  a  false  and  misleading  security.  The  English  nation, 
after  centuries  of  commercial  experience,  still  maintains  the 
only  true  protection  against  the  evils  of  monopoly.  The 
English  common  law,  which  is  also  the  common  law  of 
our  nation,  forbids  only  unreasonable  and  hurtful 
restriction  or  regulation  of  competition.  Why  should 
the  people  of  this  nation  insist  upon  a  sweeping  con- 
demnation of  all  regulation  of  competition,  even  when 
reasonable  and  beneficial  1  These  two  phases  of  regu- 
lation are  easily  separable  and  distinguishable.  The 
same  juries  and  courts  which  are  accepted  as  fit  to  deter- 
mine the  facts  and  apply  the  law  in  all  the  multitudinous 
activities  of  our  national  life,  are  certainly  fit  to  exercise 
the  same  functions  in  regard  to  regulation  of  competition. 


162  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Moreover  it  is  an  undeniable  fact  that  absolutely  unre- 
stricted and  unregulated  competition  leads  directly  and  in- 
evitably to  monopoly,  through  legal  ownership,  because  it 
prevents  the  survival  of  numerous  efficient  individuals. 
Such  competition  does  not  necessarily  result  in  the  survival 
of  the  fittest;  it  is  more  often  the  survival  of  the  strongest 
or  the  most  cunning  and  aggressive. 

Let  us  observe  the  practical  effect  of  the  present  so- 
called  anti-trust  laws  upon  the  coal  mining  industry  in  the 
state  of  Illinois.  Each  brief  period  of  unusual  prosperity, 
like  that  following  the  anthracite  strike  of  1902,  results  in 
an  increase  in  the  number  of  coal  mines  and  in  their  pro- 
ducing capacity  far  beyond  the  public  requirements.  There 
are  about  300  independent  coal  producing  companies  in  the 
state  of  Illinois  alone.  This  has  been  made  possible  by  the 
ease  with  which  a  body  of  coal  lands  could  be  purchased, 
at  an  insignificant  price  for  the  coal  in  the  ground  and  the 
ease  with  which  transportation  facilities  are  extended  in 
a  prairie  state  and  access  given  to  already  overfilled  mar- 
kets. Railroad  companies  have  fostered  the  opening  of 
additional  mines  in  old  districts  and  in  new  fields  and  dis- 
tricts, all  of  which  were  wholly  unnecessary  to  supply  the 
public  Jemand,  regardless  of  the  influence  of  such  a  policy 
on  the  waste  of  coal,  the  waste  of  labor  and  the  waste  of 
transportation  facilities. 

Owing  to  certain  natural  conditions,  it  would  not  be 
practicable  under  any  circumstances  to  operate  our  western 
coal  mines  every  working  day  in  the  year.  This  is  owing 
to  the  difference  in  the  consumption  of  coal  during  the  win- 
ter season  and  during  the  summer  season.  During  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1903,  the  industry  was  moderately  prosper- 
ous. The  mines  of  the  state  as  a  whole  were  operated  an 
average  of  only  222  days  during  the  year.  The  entire  force 
of  miners  and  mine  laborers  throughout  the  state  had  an 
averago  of  about  80  idle  days  out  of  the  number  of  days 
theoretically  possible  after  excepting  Sundays  and  holi- 
days. While  it  would  not  be  practicable  to  save  all  these 
80  days,  it  should  be  practicable,  after  making  allowance 


CONSERVATION   IN   THE    COAL   INDUSTRY.  163 

for  all  natural  conditions,  to  operate  the  mines  of  the  state 
at  least  240  days  per  year.  During  the  year  ending  June 
30,  1907,  although  the  actual  output  from  the  mines 
of  the  state  increased  10,000,000  tons  over  the  year  ending 
in  1906,  or  about  25  per  cent  in  one  year,  the  mines  of  the 
state  as  a  whole  were  operated  an  average  of  only  196  days 
during  the  year. 

It  is  fair  to  say  that  the  excessive  producing  capacity 
of  the  mines  now  in  operation  in  Illinois  results  in  a  loss 
of  at  least  fifty  days  work  per  annum  to  all  miners  and 
mine  laborers  on  the  pay  rolls  at  the  mines,  more  than  70,- 
000  in  number.  This  is  equivalent  to  the  absolute  idleness 
for  the  entire  year  of  at  least  12,000  men. 

This  is  an  enormous  economic  waste.  Many  miners 
are  held  in  the  industry  working  short  time,  with  resultant 
low  annual  earnings,  when  their  labor  might  be  usefully 
applied  in  other  industries  where  it  is  needed.  Fewer  min- 
ers could  produce  all  the  coal  needed  and  enjoy  much  larger 
annual  earnings. 

The  excessive  number  of  mines  kept  open  for  operation 
causes  a  scarcity  of  miners,  makes  miners  much  harder  to 
get,  more  difficult  to  deal  with,  and  makes  it  necessary  to 
accept  the  services  of  inferior  miners,  when  if  fewer  miners 
were  required,  operators  could  choose  the  better  class, 
which  the  miners  themselves  desire  shall  be  done. 

All  this  grows  out  of  the  attempt  to  operate  many 
more  mines  than  are  required  to  fully  supply  the  public 
requirements.  The  very  low  average  number  of  days'  op- 
eration causes  coal  to  cost  much  more  than  it  would  if  fewer 
mines  were  operated  a  greater  number  of  days;  and  the 
natural  endeavor  of  each  individual  company  to  secure  a 
greatei  number  of  days'  operation  than  the  average  de- 
presses the  selling  price  of  coal  to  cost  or  less,  in  an  effort 
to  avoid  an  almost  certain  greater  loss  by  voluntarily  ac- 
cepting a  lesser  one. 

Such  conditions  in  a  great  industry  are  a  public  evil, 
not  a  public  benefit,  even  though  they  result  in  lower  prices 
to  consumers  than  would  prevail  under  an  intelligent  organ- 


164  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

ization  of  the  industry.  But  under  present  Jaws  intelligent 
organization,  of  actual  benefit  to  the  public  as  a  whole,  is 
severely  punished. 

Laboring  men  are  permitted  to  organize,  perhaps  be- 
cause the  majority  of  people  have  come  to  believe  that  men 
are  better  citizens  and  better  working  men  under  decent 
wages  and  working  conditions — in  a  general  way,  that  a 
good  servant  deserves  good  pay  and  to  secure  good  servants 
we  must  expect  to  pay  good  wages. 

Are  not  the  capital  and  the  brains  necessary  to  carry 
on  an  indispensable  industry,  entitled  to  equal  considera- 
tion? The  public  does  not  seem  to  begrudge  reasonable 
earning  power  to  the  railroads  and  to  many  large  industries 
which  have  become  compactly  organized  by  consolidated 
ownership.  Is  it  wise  for  the  public  to  force  consolidated 
ownership  upon  the  bituminous  coal  industry,  at  the  ex- 
pense of  enormous  waste  during  the  savage  process  of  the 
survival  of  the  strongest?  Existing  anti-trust  laws  should 
be  amended  so  as  to  permit  intelligent  organization  of  dis- 
organized industries,  while  preserving  at  the  same  time  such 
degree  of  publicity  and  public  regulation  as  are  necessary  to 
protect  the  interests  of  the  people  as  a  whole. 

So  great  a  guardian  of  the  public  interests  as  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States  has  reached  that  stage  of  thought 
where  it  appears  necessary  and  desirable  to  him  that  our 
anti-trust  laws  should  be  amended  so  as  to  become  of  eco- 
nomic benefit  instead  of  remaining  an  economic  evil,  as  at 
present.  It  is  time  that  a  leaf  should  be  taken  from  this 
new  gospel  by  the  various  states  also.  Wise  economic  re- 
sults cannot  be  expected  under  unwise  economic  laws. 

This  American  Mining  Congress  probably  can  do  no 
more  important  work  than  promote  the  agitation,  discus- 
sion aad  thorough  understanding  of  this  great  subject. 
Steps  should  be  taken  in  the  various  states  to  bring  about 
the  introduction  of  amended  laws,  even  if  with  no  greater 
present  hope  than  that  of  bringing  the  subject  before  the 
people  for  practical  discussion.  In  the  past  the  people  of 
this  nation  have  always  reached  right  conclusions  upon  all 


CONSERVATION   IN   THE    COAL   INDUSTRY.  .  165 

great  economic  subjects,  when  such  subjects  have  been 
fairly  presented  and  sufficiently  discussed.  They  will 
reach  light  conclusions  upon  this  subject  when  it  has  been 
fully  presented  and  comes  to  be  fairly  understood  by  them. 


The  Barren  Zone  of  the  Northern  Appalachian  Coal  Field 
and  Its  Relation  to  Pittsburgh's  Industries. 

BY  DR.   I.   C.  WHITE,   STATE   GEOLOGIST   OP  WEST  VIRGINIA. 

It  was  formerly  supposed  that  the  several  coal  forma- 
tions of  the  Appalachian  region  would  hold  coal  of  commer- 
cial value  over  the  entire  area  of  that  great  field.  Your 
speaker  pointed  out,  many  years  ago,  that  this  was  a  grave 
mistake  so  far  as  the  Monongahela  and  Pottsville  series 
are  concerned,  and  later,  that  the  Allegheny  and  Kanawha 
coals  also  share  the  same  fate  when  they  pass  under  water 
level  towards  the  center  of  the  Appalachian  basin.  That 
instead  of  a  continuous  sheet  of  productive  coal  measures 
underlying  this  entire  field,  there  is  a  great  barren  zone 
which  in  the  Allegheny  series  begins  a  few  miles  north  from 
Pittsburgh,  and  embracing  most  of  Allegheny  county,  a 
large  portion  of  Westmoreland,  all  of  Washington,  Greene 
and  Western  Fayette,  as  well  as  Southern  Beaver,  passes 
southwestward  entirely  across  West  Virginia  and  south- 
eastern Ohio,  thus  reducing  enormously  the  productive  area 
of  the  Allegheny  series,  and  its  usually  estimated  coal  re- 
sources. 

The  celebrated  Pittsburgh  coal  holds  its  place  in  the 
series,  however,  until  we  reach  Doddridge  county,  western 
Wetzel  and  eastern  Tyler  in  West  Virginia,  when  it  too  dis- 
appears, except  in  scattered  patches  along  its  eastern  crop 
through  Lewis,  Braxton,  Gilmer,  Eoane,  Kanawha  and  Put- 
nam counties,  as  we  may  see  by  inspection  of  the  West  Vir- 
ginia map.  The  same  thing  happens  to  this  coal  in  south- 
eastern Ohio,  so  that  it  is  practically  absent  from  Monroe, 
Washington,  eastern  Athens,  much  of  Meigs,  and  Gallia. 

These  facts  have  been  brought  to  light  principally  by 
the  oil  well  drillers  in  the  search  for  petroleum  and  natural 
gas.  The  great  Burning  Springs-Volcano  anticlinal  of 
West  Virginia  which  along  its  highest  crest  in  Wirt,  Wood 
and  Pleasant  counties,  brings  up  to  daylight  successively 
the  Monongahela,  Conemaugh  and  Allegheny  series,  right 


BARREN  ZONE  OF  APPALACHIAN  COAL  FIELD.  167 

across  the  center  of  the  Appalachian  field,  confirms  the 
story  of  the  drill,  since  near  Petroleum  station,  where  all 
the  measures  from  the  top  of  the  Monongahela  series  down 
to  the  Pottsville,  are  exposed  to  view,  only  one  coal  bed  is 
visible,  and  it  is  only  four  feet  thick,  impure,  and  split  into 
two  practically  worthless  divisions  by  six  to  eight  feet  of 
slate.  Your  speaker  has  personally  examined  the  rock  ma- 
terials brought  up  by  the  sand  pump  while  the  drill  was 
passing  through  the  Allegheny  beds  in  several  wells  from 
the  region  of  Pittsburgh  southwestward  across  western 
Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia,  southeastern  Ohio,  and  on  to 
the  Big  Sandy  river  at  the  Kentucky  line  in  Wayne  county, 
with  the  result  that  over  a  belt  having  a  width  of  50  to  60 
miles  at  the  Pittsburgh  end,  and  practically  the  same  on 
the  Big  Sandy,  and  swelling  out  to  100  miles  or  more  near 
its  center  at  the  longitude  of  the  Little  Kanawha  river, 
there  is  practically  no  commercial  coal,  as  we  know  that 
term  now,  in  the  entire  Allegheny  series. 

The  effect  of  this  barren  zone  on  West  Virginia's  pro- 
ductive coal  area  is  to  reduce  it  from  17,000  square  miles, 
as  usually  given  in  statistical  tables,  to  only  about  half  that 
size,  and  the  tonnage  as  recently  estimated  by  Mr.  M.  B. 
Campbell  of  the  U.  S.  G.  Survey,  from  231,000,000,000  to 
only  about  60,000,000,000  of  first  class  available  fuel,  after 
providing  for  the  necessary  waste  in  mining,  or  less  than 
one-half  of  Mr.  Campbell's  estimate  for  that  state.  The 
one  hundred  and  twelve  billion  tons  of  bituminous  coal  orig- 
inally existing  in  Pennsylvania,  and  eighty-six  billions  in 
Ohio,  as  estimated  by  Campbell,  are  also  both  much  too 
great  on  account  of  this  barren  zone  in  these  states.  It  is 
quite  certain  that  Pennsylvania  will  not  furnish  more  than 
forty  billion  tons,  and  Ohio  probably  not  more  than  twenty- 
five  billions  of  commercial  bituminous  coal,  so  that  the 
three  great  coal  states  of  the  northern  Appalachian  field, 
viz:  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  West  Virginia,  will  together 
produce  only  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  billion 
tons  of  good  coal,  and  probably  fifty  billion  tons  of  an  in- 
ferior grade,  instead  of  the  much  larger  quantity  indicated 
by  Mr.  Campbell's  figures,  which  are  evidently  based  upon 


168  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

the  old  supposition  that  this  barren  area  would  hold  as 
much  coal  as  any  other  portion  of  the  Appalachian  field. 

From  this  brief  statement  of  the  facts  in  the  case,  it 
would  appear  that  the  several  coal  formations,  beginning 
with  the  oldest,  Pocahontas,  New  Eiver,  Kanawha,  Alle- 
gheny, Conemaugh  and  Monongahela,  were  deposited  in 
narrow  belts  or  fringes  20  to  30  miles  in  breadth,  around 
the  borders  of  the  great  Appalachian  basin,  each  higher 
series  extending  farther  toward  the  center  of  the  trough 
than  its  predecessor.  This  condition  of  affairs  is  shown 
by  the  distribution  of  the  colors  on  the  West  Virginia  coal 
map,  which  is  before  you,  and  which  in  its  uncolored  por- 
tion also  indicates  the  central  barren  zone.  The  query  will 
naturally  arise  to  many  of  you — why  were  no  valuable  coal 
beds  formed  in  this  great  central  trough,  where  the  older 
geologists,  and  many  of  the  younger  ones,  it  appears,  sup- 
posed the  coal  beds  would  be  thickest  and  most  numerous! 
The  question  is  a  puzzling  one,  but  this  absence  of  valuable 
coal  deposits  appears  to  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the  central 
region  of  the  Appalachian  coal  field  was  covered  with  water 
to  such  a  depth  that  vegetation  could  not  secure  a  foothold, 
and  hence  while  sediments  accumulated  there  to  practically 
the  same  thickness  as  in  other  portions  of  the  basin,  they 
consist  only  of  shales,  sandstones  and  limestones,  the  latter 
being  in  greater  proportion  than  where  the  coal  accumu- 
lated in  commercial  quantity.  Of  course  there  will  be  some 
islands  of  commercial  coal  in  this  long  and  broad  barren 
zone,  but  they  will  be  local  and  of  small  extent. 

This  shortage  of  coal  brings  to  the  citizens  of  the  Pitts- 
burgh region,  the  present  manufacturing  center  of  the 
world,  the  most  serious  problem  that  has  ever  confronted 
them.  You  have  been  told  that  you  originally  had  four 
hundred  and  thirty  billion  tons  of  coal  in  your  mines,  and 
that  it  would  suffice  for  150  to  200  years,  while  the  truth  is, 
you  have  only  one-half  of  that  amount,  and  with  the  present 
wasteful  mining  methods  it  will  last  unly  50  years.  If  this 
waste  continues,  some  of  you  in  this  audience  will  see  the 
finish  in  the  northern  Appalachian  field  of  all  cheap  and 
easily  won  coal.  Many  of  you  do  not  credit  these  state- 


BARREN  ZONE  OP  APPALACHIAN  COAL  FIELD.  169 

ments.     They  are  capable  of  demonstration  to  those  whose 
minds  are  open  to  reason  and  the  irresistible  logic  of  facts. 
The  area  of  the  great  Pittsburgh  bed,  that  wonderful  coal 
seam  to  which  Pittsburgh  owes  its  very  existence,  is  known 
almost  to  the  acre.     Pennsylvania  had  remaining  1,090,000 
acres  of  it  at  the  beginning  of  1908,  and  she  has  several 
thousand  acres  less  now,  since  her  annual  production  from 
this  one  coal  bed  is  approximately  ninety-five  million  tons. 
This  represents  an  exhaustion  of  over  1,000  acres  every 
month  of  the  year,  because  the  best  mining  engineers  of 
Pennsylvania  have  succeeded  in  saving  and  utilizing  only 
8,000  tons  of  coal  to  the  acre,  of  the  12,000  to  15,000  that 
are  present  in  the  Pittsburgh  vein.     Hence  should  there  be 
no  increase  in  production  over  the  present,  this  famous  coal 
bed  would  be  entirely  exhausted  from  the  state  of  Pennsyl- 
vania within  80  to  90  years.     But  what  reason  is  there  for 
not  believing  that  every  normal  year  will  record  its  regular 
increase,  until  in  ten  to  twelve  years  at  most,  Pennsylvania 
will  have  doubled  her  present  output  of  Pittsburgh  coal? 
West  Virginia  has  only  about  the  same  acreage  of  this  great 
coal  bed  as  Pennsylvania,  while  Ohio's  entire  area  will  be 
practically  gone  in  25  years.    Hence  you  can  readily  per- 
ceive that  with  only  a  century's  supply  at  the  present  rate 
of  mining,  and  in  view  of  the  greatly  increased  production 
which  cannot  fail  to  come  with  our  growth  in  population, 
50  years  is  a  liberal  estimate  for  the  life  of  the  Pittsburgh 
coal  bed.    The  same  causes  will  in  approximately  that  time 
exhaust  all  of  the  cheaply  mined  thin  veins  in  the  Allegheny 
series  of  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  northern  West  Virginia, 
and  Pittsburgh's  industries  will  have  entered  upon  the  ex- 
pensive method  of  mining  coal  by  deep  shafts  to  beds  of 
inferior  quality,  of  only  one  to  two  feet  in  thickness,  and  of 
attempting  to  recover  at  great  expense  the  many  millions 
of  tons  of  good  fuel  already  left  in  the  pillars  and  roofs 
and  bottoms  of  long  abandoned  mines.    This  is  no  fairy 
story.    It  is  as  sure  to  come  to  pass  at  approximately  50 
years  in  the  future,  if  present  wasteful  methods  continue, 
as  that  the  sun  will  rise  tomorrow.    It  can  do  no  harm  to 
recall  some  of  the  sins  of  waste  committed  by  your  people 


170  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

in  the  past,  since  many  of  these  still  persist.     The  citizens 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  especially  of  the  Pittsburgh  district, 
have  already  wasted  more  of  their  precious  fuel  supplies, 
both  solid  and  gaseous,  than  they  have  ever  used.     More 
than  thirty  thousand  beehive  ovens  continue  to  consume 
almost  within  sight  of  your  great  factories,  one-third  of 
the  power,  and  all  of  the  precious  by-products  locked  up 
in  the  finest  bed  of  coal  the  world  has  ever  known,  and  of 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  you  have  such  a  limited  supply. 
The  quantity  of  natural  gas,  that  best  of  all  the  fuels,  which 
western  Pennsylvania  has  wasted  from  the  many  thousands 
of  wells  drilled  within  her  borders,  vastly  exceeds  in  value 
all  the  petroleum  she  has  ever  produced.    Not  satisfied  with 
thus  despoiling  your  own  fair  commonwealth  of  its  most 
precious  fuel  possession,  some  of  your  most  powerful  cor- 
porations, with  headquarters  in  Pittsburgh,  have  been  the 
principal  agents  in  wasting  unnumbered  billions  of  cubic 
feet  of  this  precious  fuel  in  your  sister  states  of  Ohio  and 
West  Virginia.     The  general  superintendent  of  one  of  your 
great  gas  companies  told  me  only  a  few  days  ago  that  he 
had  personal  knowledge  of  one  well  in  "West  Virginia  from 
which  twelve  million  feet  of  gas  escaped  daily  in  producing 
only  four  barrels  of  oil,  and  this  spectacle  of  wasting  the 
heating  value  of  12,000  bushels  of  coal  daily,  together  with 
the  power  to  deliver  itself  free  of  charges  for  transportation 
to  Pittsburgh's  factories,  was  at  that  time  not  an  isolated 
case,  but  only  one  of  hundreds.     During  this  riot  of  waste, 
one  of  your  great  gas  companies  put  into  its  lines  in  West 
Virginia  nearly  one  hundred  million  cubic  feet  of  gas  daily 
and  delivered  in  Pittsburgh  much  less  than  half  that  quan- 
tity, the  larger  portion  having  escaped  into  the  air  through 
the  defective  joints  of  cheap  and  imperfect  pipe  line  con- 
struction.    An  enormous  waste  of  gaseous  fuel  is  still  an 
incident  of  oil  production  in  Pennsylvania,  as  well  as  in 
Ohio  and  West  Virginia,  and  will  probably  so  continue  to 
the  end  of  the  chapter,  largely  because  a  few  influential 
citizens  of  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  New  York  always  oppose 
any  attempt  to  prevent  this  crime  against  these  common- 
wealths.    A  great  portion  of  this  wasted  gas  in  West  Viis 


BARREN  ZONE  OF  APPALACHIAN  COAL  FIELD.  171 

ginia  and  Ohio  was  safely  stored  by  nature  under  immense 
pressure  in  the  immediate  pathway  of  this  barren  coal  zone, 
and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  its  heating  value,  if  properly 
utilized,  would  have  much  more  than  replaced  the  missing 
coal  beds,  and  thus  to  that  extent  delayed  the  end  of  cheap 
fuel  in  the  Pittsburgh  district.  , 

The  awful  catastrophe  at  Marianna  last  week  is  most 
disquieting  to  thinking  minds.  Disquieting,  not  alone  for 
the  frightful  loss  of  precious  lives  from  the  ranks  of  the 
brave  toilers  in  a  most  dangerous  occupation,  in  which  the 
men  of  skill  are  all  too  few,  but  also  for  the  dread  suspicion 
which  arises  concerning  the  future  of  deep  mining  in  this 
richest  zone  of  coal.  Harwick,  Ellsworth,  Naomi,  Monon- 
gah,  Darr,  Marianna,  are  all  within  the  regions  of  great 
deposits  of  natural  gas.  Can  it  be  possible  that  in  such 
situations  this  volatile  substance,  released  from  its  long 
prison  by  the  thousands  of  oil  and  gas  wells  drilled  to  the 
deeply  buried  reservoirs  of  gaseous  fuel,  has  permeated 
these  mines  in  large  quantity  through  the  ever  present  fis- 
sures of  the  earth's  stony  crust! 

At  the  White  House  conference  of  Governors,  called 
last  May  by  our  illustrious  President  to  take  stock  of  the 
fast  disappearing  natural  resources  of  the  nation,  and  to 
advise  with  him  concerning  ways  and  means  to  conserve 
the  same,  your  speaker  called  attention  to  this  "  sword  of 
Damocles,"  an  ever  impending  peril  to  deep  mining  over 
the  oil  and  gas  areas,  and  to  the  unknown  waste  of  coal  and 
precious  lives  that  may  possibly  result  therefrom.  At  least 
three-fourths  of  the  entire  area  of  Pittsburgh  coal  remain- 
ing unmined  in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  West  Virginia  is 
within  this  dangerous  zone.  Of  the  thousands  of  oil  and 
gas  wells  drilled  in  this  great  area  stretching  from  the  Pitts- 
burgh region  southwestward  across  Pennsylvania,  West 
Virginia  and  southeastern  Ohio,  hundreds  of  which  have 
been  abandoned  in  each  of  these  three  states,  and  the  cas- 
ing removed,  probably  not  a  single  one  has  been  so  located 
by  public  charts  accessible  to  coal  operators  that  its  pres- 
ence could  be  learned  and  its  danger  guarded  against  after 
the  farmers  have  cleared  away  the  rubbish  of  derrick  and 


172  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

drill,  and  recovered  the  poisoned  soil  for  grazing  and  other 
agricultural  purposes.  There  would  have  been  perils 
enough  in  this  deeply  buried  Pittsburgh  coal  area  from  the 
inflammable  gases  already  present  in  the  coal  itself,  if  not 
a  single  oil  or  gas  well  had  ever  been  drilled  to  these  great 
underlying  reservoirs  to  release  when  abandoned,  the 
deadly  forces  of  explosive  gas  into  the  very  workings  of  the 
toilers,  against  which  neither  the  skill  of  the  miner  nor  the 
science  of  the  engineer  seems  able  to  cope.  It  is  barely  pos- 
sible that  the  oil  and  gas  producers  have  thus  through 
abandoned  wells  added  so  greatly  to  the  perils  of  deep  min- 
ing that  large  areas  of  this  matchless  Pittsburgh  coal  as 
well  as  any  other  beds  which  might  underlie  it  in  this  broad 
oil  and  gas  belt  southwest  from  Pittsburgh,  will  be  practi- 
cally irrecoverable  except  at  enormous  expense  of  life  and 
treasure.  It  is  needless  to  comment  upon  the  additional 
fuel  shortage  which  such  a  condition  would  mean  to  Pitts- 
burgh's iron  and  steel  industries.  The  mere  mention  of  the 
possibility  of  this  peril  ought  to  be  sufficient  to  put  every 
patriotic  citizen  on  guard  against  increasing  this  danger. 
Not  a  single  string  of  casing  that  has  penetrated  the  pro* 
ductive  coal  measures  in  the  oil  or  gas  regions  of  the  states 
where  natural  gas  is  encountered  in  any  appreciable  quan- 
tity should  ever  be  pulled  out  until  the  underlying  coal  has 
been  removed.  The  oil  producers  are  robbing  the  entire 
country  of  its  precious  fuel  gases.  Why  should  they  be 
permitted  also  to  endanger  its  solid  fuels?  Here  is  some 
work  for  the  Governors  and  Legislatures  of  Pennsylvania, 
Ohio,  West  Virginia  and  Kentucky  that  could  bring  no 
harm  to  legitimate  oil  and  gas  interests,  and  which  may 
result  in  an  immense  saving  of  life,  as  well  as  of  fuel  re- 
sources. 

What  moral  should  be  drawn  from  these  facts  by 
Greater  Pittsburgh,  with  its  5,000  factories  absolutely  de- 
pendent upon  cheap  fuel?  That  homely  adage  of  our  fore- 
fathers, "Needless  waste  brings  woeful  want,"  is  just  as 
true  for  communities,  states  and  nations  as  for  individuals. 
The  story  of  "Coal  Oil  Johnny"  is  being  re-enacted  by  the 
Pittsburgh  district,  and  many  other  districts  of  our  country 


BARREN  ZONE  OF  APPALACHIAN  COAL  FIELD.  173 

on  an  enormous  scale,  and  the  final  results,  although  a  little 
longer  delayed,  cannot  fail  to  be  similar.  On  the  one  hand 
you  perceive  your  fuel  resources  reduced  by  this  barren 
zone  to  one-half  of  what  were  supposed  to  be  readily  and 
cheaply  accessible,  and  on  the  other  these  resources  so 
greatly  depleted  by  unbridled  waste  that  in  only  a  few 
years  at  most  cheap  fuel  will  have  passed  into  history  from 
this  great  district. 

Disguise  it  as  we  may,  the  picture  is  not  a  pleasing 
one.  Your  great  engineers  and  captains  of  industry  whose 
skill  and  genius  aided  by  an  unrivaled  wealth  of  cheap  fuel 
and  the  protecting  Aegis  of  a  wise  and  generous  govern- 
ment have  centered  here  the  iron  and  steel  business  of  the 
world,  should  not  glance  at  the  picture  and  turn  lightly 
away  to  forget  it  in  the  busy  hum  of  furnace  and  forge. 
Your  wonderful  industries  should  remain  here  and  prosper 
not  a  few  decades,  but  for  centuries.  But  just  as  surely  as 
your  successful  past  and  glorious  present  have  been  founded 
upon  your  unrivaled  resources  in  cheap  fuel,  so  surely  will 
your  great  industries  decline  and  die  with  its  disappear- 
ance. "Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin,"  will  be  written 
large  over  the  gateways  of  your  wonderful  city  before  the 
present  century  closes  unless  the  men  who  own  your  mines 
and  factories  awake  at  once  to  the  danger  that  portends. 

What  will  it  profit  Pittsburgh's  industries  that  enor- 
mous coal  deposits  exist  in  Wyoming,  North  Dakota,  Mon- 
tana and  far  away  Alaska,  as  well  as  in  other  portions  of 
the  distant  West,  when  a  freight  cost  of  many  dollars  per 
ton  intervenes?  No,  these  Western  coal  fields  are  not  for 
Pittsburgh.  Nature  has  forbidden  it  by  barriers  which  the 
skill  of  man  can  never  hope  to  conquer.  When  the  coal  in 
the  Appalachian  field  is  gone  no  other  field  can  take  its 
place  in  Pittsburgh's  industrial  life. 

Every  citizen  of  our  beloved  union  is  interested  in  per- 
petuating as  long  as  possible  the  giant  industries  that  have 
sprung  into  existence  around  the  home  of  Father  Pitt. 
When  the  mighty  pulsations  of  your  industrial  life  slow 
down,  even  temporarily,  lethargy  and  palsy  strike  every 
artery  of  trade  and  commerce  on  the  continent.  The  post- 


174  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

ponement  or  prevention  of  the  evil  day  when  your  great  in- 
dustries shall  close  for  want  of  power  is  worthy  of  the  best 
thought  of  every  patriotic  American.  What  is  the  remedy  I 
What  is  possible  to  be  done  in  order  to  postpone  indefinitely 
this  dreaded  day  so  fateful  to  Pittsburgh's  industrial  life? 
The  answer  may  be  summed  up  in  two  words — Stop  wastes. 
Not  alone  waste  of  natural  gas,  waste  in  mining,  but  all 
other  needless  wastes.  Why  should  you  permit  this  pall 
of  smoke  and  dirt  and  grime  from  unconsumed  carbon  to 
continue  to  menace  the  life  and  beauty  of  your  great  city? 
Why  should  the  flaming  throats  of  so  many  wasteful  coke 
ovens  continue  to  vomit  skyward  such  enormous  volumes 
of  precious  gaseous  fuel,  with  its  clouds  of  carbon  to  pollute 
the  air,  stifle  vegetation  and  render  life  a  burden,  when  all 
of  this  wasted  energy  will  so  soon  be  needed  in  Pittsburgh's 
unrivaled  factories  ?  True,  your  furnace  managers  may  say 
the  coke  from  the  beehive  oven  is  superior  in  structure  and 
reducing  capacity  to  that  of  the  by-product  process,  but  is 
this  superiority  sufficiently  great  to  warrant  the  waste  of 
so  much  heat,  and  all  of  the  other  precious  by-products 
which  our  European  cousins  find  so  much  profit  in  manu- 
facturing and  selling  to  us?  Are  not  your  engineers  equal 
to  the  task  of  manufacturing  a  first  class  furnace  coke  with- 
out such  an  enormous  waste  of  values?  Are  they  less  skill- 
ful than  their  German  and  English  brothers? 

Why  should  you  retain  the  steam  engine  to  consume 
with  frightful  speed  so  much  of  your  finest  fuel,  when  much 
more  power  can  be  obtained  by  the  use  of  the  gas  engine 
from  an  equal  weight  of  impure  or  low  grade  coal  ?  Fortu- 
nate would  it  be  for  Pittsburgh's  future  if  some  master 
genius  could  arise  in  your  great  iron  and  steel  industries 
who  would  at  one  stroke  arrange  to  relegate  both  the  steam 
engine  and  the  beehive  coke  oven  to  the  junk  heap  of  the 
wasteful  past,  like  McCrea  and  his  predecessor,  the  gifted 
Cassat,  have  undertaken  to  do  with  the  steam  locomotive  on 
one  of  the  world's  greatest  railways. 

Again,  why  should  the  Pittsburgh  district  permit  these 
acres  of  coal  barges,  loaded  with  precious  black  diamonds, 
the  heart  of  the  finest  coal  bed  in  the  world,  mined  from 


BARREN  ZONE  OF  APPALACHIAN  GOAL  FIELD.  175 

your  immediate  hills,  to  float  through  your  gates  down  to 
the  other  marts  at  a  minimum  profit  to  any  of  your  citizens, 
owing  to  enormous  losses  by  flood  and  collision,  when  it  is 
absolutely  certain  that  before  the  century  closes  the  coal 
from  eastern  Kentucky  and  southern  West  Virginia  will 
be  towed  up  the  Ohio  to  replace  what  should  never  have 
been  taken  away.  Would  it  not  be  prudent  and  the  part 
of  far  seeing  business  wisdom  to  let  the  Great  Kanawha  and 
Big  Sandy  coal  fields  possess  these  southern  markets  to 
which  they  are  so  much  more  cheaply  accessible,  rather 
than  sell  at  a  small  profit  today  what  you  will  buy  back  in 
the  near  tomorrow  at  triple  or  even  quadruple  the  present 
selling  price.!  The  coal  in  the  Appalachian  field  is  the 
only  large  body  of  first  class  coking  fuel  on  the  continent, 
and  the  first  duty  of  those  who  control  the  bulk  of  the 
enormous  iron  and  steel  industries  of  this  district  is  to  con- 
serve all  that  is  possible  of  this  precious  fuel  for  that  par- 
ticular purpose. 

Another  form  of  wasted  energy  not  so  apparent  to  the 
eye,  but  which  in  the  aggregate  probably  amounts  to  much 
more  annually  than  all  other  forms  of  energy  both  con- 
sumed and  wasted  in  the  Pittsburgh  district,  is  the  waste 
of  water  which  the  nation  permits  to  pass  by  your  factories 
unhindered  to  the  sea,  often  destroying  enough  property  in 
this  one  district,  between  here  and  Cairo,  in  a  year,  to  pay 
the  entire  cost  of  control  and  utilization.  With  the  waste 
and  disappearance  of  our  forests,  these  periodical  floods 
are  certain  to  increase  in  destructiveness.  Happily  situ- 
ated at  the  junction  of  two  great  rivers  whose  waters 
tumble  down  from  the  mountain  summits  2,000  feet 
higher,  and  all  easily  within  the  limits  of  electrical  trans- 
mission; why  should  this  now  worse  than  wasted  power  not 
be  so  stored,  controlled  and  utilized  that  you  could  not  only 
have  navigable  rivers  the  most  of  the  year,  from  Pittsburgh 
to  the  Gulf,  upon  which  to  distribute  cheaply  the  products 
of  your  mills  and  factories  to  so  many  of  your  sister  states, 
but  could  also  thereby  greatly  prolong  the  life  and  growth 
of  your  famous  industries. 

Your  patriotic  mayor  has  done  well  to  appoint  a  com- 


176  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

mittee  of  distinguished  citizens  to  head  a  civic  movement 
to  rescue  your  noble  army  of  toilers  from  the  filth  and 
squalor  and  disease  of  tenement  conditions  almost  un- 
equaled  for  undesirable  surroundings  by  that  of  any  other 
great  city  of  the  world,  in  order  that  human  life  and  energy 
may  not  be  wasted  in  unsanitary  homes.  Let  Mr.  Guthrie 
supplement  that  noble  work  by  appointing  a  committee  for 
the  prevention  of  unnecessary  waste  of  your  material  re- 
sources in  every  form.  Thus  by  the  united  influence  of 
Pennsylvania  and  her  sister  states  upon  the  nation's  rulers, 
it  may  be  possible,  by  reforesting  the  Appalachian  moun- 
tains, by  storing,  controlling  and  utilizing  the  water  power 
of  your  mighty  rivers,  by  conserving  and  properly  using 
your  priceless  stores  of  fuel,  to  prolong  indefinitely  your 
industrial  life,  so  that  Pittsburgh  may  not  only  become  the 
city  beautiful,  but  also  the  city  perpetual. 


Needs  for  Conservation  of  Our  Coal  Deposits. 


BY   J.   V.   THOMPSON,   UNIONTOWN,   PA. 

To  be  fully  and  adequately  impressed  with  the  import- 
ance of  the  question, 

"How  rapidly  are  we  exhausting  our  coal  de- 
posits in  the  United  States?" 

We  should  study  the  subject  with  regard  to  these 
aspects  of  it 

1.  What  is  the  area  of  accessible,  merchantable  coal? 

2.  What  is  the  annual  rate  of  consumption? 

3.  What  is  the  rate  of  annual  increase  in  this  consump- 
tion? 

Answering  the  first  question,  I  might  quote  in  general 
terms  from  an  authority  on  the  subject,  who  writes,  that  the 
distribution  of  coal  is  as  follows: 

First.  The  Appalachian  area  in  which  is 
found  the  big  vein  of  from  six  to  nine  feet  in  thick- 
ness, extending  from  Northern  Pennsylvania  to 
Alabama,  running  through  part  of  West  Virginia, 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and  touching  Eastern 
Ohio. 

Second.  The  Michigan  coal  field  of  limited 
extent. 

Third.  The  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa  and  Mis- 
souri field,  of  larger  extent  in  area,  but  of  recent 
development. 

Fourth.  Scattered  areas  in  Nebraska,  Kansas, 
Colorado,  Montana  and  North  Dakota,  whose  veins 
are  but  slightly  known  or  mined. 

For  information  as  to  past  consumption,  and  recent 
rate  of  increase,  upon  which  we  can  safely  predict  for  the 
future,  we  must  look  to  that  locality  where  the  mining  of 
coal  has  been  most  extensively  and  persistently  carried  on 
in  the  past.  This  brings  us  to  the  Southwest  Pennsylvania 
and  West  Virginia  fields,  whose  records  cover  the  greatest 
number  of  years,  and  the  greatest  tonnage.  These  regiom 


178  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

supply  the  East,  the  central  West  and  the  Northwest,  where 
the  demand  for  such  fuel  has  been  the  greatest  in  the  past 
twenty  years. 

For  brevity's  sake  let  us  make  this  single  comparison: 
In  1857  the  coal  production  was  11,000,000  tons. 
In  1907  the  production  was  435,000,000  tons,  or  3,540 
per  rent  increase. 

The  increase  was  not  gradual  or  uniform.    It  was  much 
greater  in  the  past  ten  years  than  in  any  previous  decade. 
In  1870  we  mined    33,000,000  tons. 
In  1880  we  mined    71,000,000  tons. 
In  1890  we  mined  157,000,000  tons. 
In  1900  we  mined  269,000,000  tons. 
In  1907  we  mined  435,000,000  tons, 

which  exceeds  1906  by  an  amount  greater  than  the  total 
mined  in  the  world  in  1876!  We  can  better  comprehend  the 
vastness  of  this  by  reducing  it  to  acres. 

The  acreage  represented  by  these  tonnage  figures 
sprang  by  leaps  at  ten  year  periods  from  4,400  acres  in  1870 
to  9,466  acres  in  1880,  to  20,933  acres  in  1890,  to  34,533 
acres  in  1900,  and  to  the  magnificent  total  of  58,000  acres 
in  1907. 

Eeduce  these  acres  to  square  miles  and  we  get 

in  1870  but  7%  square  miles, 
and  in  1880  but  16  square  miles, 
and  in  1890  as  much  as  35  square  miles, 
and  in  1900  as  much  as  58  square  miles, 
and  in  1907  we  get  91  square  miles. 
This  means  a  principality  in  area  and  values  gone  for- 
ever, used  in  one  short  year  of  300  working  days.     This 
consumption  was  not  scattered  over  the  United  States  gen- 
erally, but  prevailed  in  three  or  four  states  principally; 
from  Pennsylvania  55  per  cent,  from  Illinois  and  adjoining 
States  10  per  cent,  from  West  Virginia  10  per  cent,  from 
Ohio  5  per  cent,  and  from  all  the  rest  of  the  United  States 
20  per  cent. 

At  this  rate  of  consumption  who  can  fail  to  see  the  end 
of  the  big  vein  of  coal  in  this  country.  Its  life  was  once 


NEEDS  FOR  CONSERVATION  OF  OUR  COAL  DEPOSITS.      179 

placed  at  300  years,  later  at  200  years,  now  at  less  than  100 
years.  In  the  Pittsburgh  district  it  is  less  than  40  years. 
In  the  Connellsville  coke  region  it  is  about  35  years.  I  take 
no  account  of  those  thinner  veins,  of  doubtful  value  and 
quality.  I  refer  only  to  the  big  vein  now  mined,  known  lo- 
cally as  the  Connellsville  Coking  or  9-foot  vein,  or  the  9-foot 
or  Pittsburgh  vein.  The  thinner  veins  will  be  but  little 
mined  until  the  great  Pittsburgh  vein  is  near  exhaustion. 

If  I  have  made  clear  to  you  the  rate  of  exhaustion  now 
prevailing,  what  increase  can  you  see  in  the  near  future? 
Is  the  outlook  reassuring,  or  alarming?  Can  you  hope  to  de- 
crease the  consumption  of  coal?  or  rather  will  it  not  be  re- 
corded in  1925  that  at  least  200  square  miles  of  this  big 
vein  of  nature's  richest  gift  is  being  extracted  annually, 
without  the  possibility  of  substitution  or  replacement?  This 
would  mean  an  annual  tonnage  of  little  less  than  1,000,000- 
000  tons. 

Are  the  figures  too  large  for  comprehension?  Not  to 
us  of  this  district  who  see  annually  150,000,000  bushels  of 
the  black:  diamonds  go  floating  out  of  the  Pittsburgh  harbor 
alone,  down  the  Ohio  for  southern  ports,  exclusive  of  rail 
transportation.  Not  to  us  who  see  in  the  Connellsville  re- 
gion alone  37,000  coke  ovens  lighting  the  heavens  at  night, 
and  sending  out  daily  2,500  loaded  cars  of  coke,  stringing 
out  into  14,000  cars  a  week  from  186  coke  plants. 

I  have  endeavored  to  show  the  extent  of  consumption  of 
this  precious  mineral.  Need  I  dwell  on  the  conditions  in  the 
Pittsburgh  and  other  industrial  centers  as  the  life  of  the 
nearby  coal  area  approaches  its  end?  We  boast  that  Pitts- 
burgh is  the  industrial  centre  of  the  world,  that  her  tonnage 
is  greater  than  the  combined  tonnage  of  Chicago,  New  York, 
London  and  the  Suez  Canal,  that  her  pay  roll  is  $1,500,000 
each  day  of  the  300  working  days  of  the  year.  Will  that 
continue  when  the  nearby  coal  is  gone?  Can  she  reach  out 
and  get  relief  from  the  untested  coals  of  the  South  and  far 
West? 

Is  not  then  the  need  of  conservation  most  pressing?  How 
can  we  get  the  same  efficiency  at  a  less  rate  of  tonnage  con- 
sumption? Natural  gas  will  help  us  out  some,  but  its  life 


180  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

is  precarious.  Mechanical  devices  in  the  making  of  coke, 
and  in  making  fuel  heat  will  improve  in  efficiency  and  give 
some  saving.  By-products  will  add  to  our  profit  account. 
But  who  will  arise  to  lead  us  to  the  solution  of  the  great 
and  pressing  economic  problem,  how  to  conserve  our  fuel 
supply,  and  extend  its  life  of  usefulness? 

"Man  marks  the  earth  with  ruin;  his  control 
Stops  with  the  shore;  upon  this  great  wide  plain 
The  wrecks  are  all  his  deed,  now  will  remain 
A  vestige  of  our  greatness;  these  rich  fields 
Will  in  an  aeon  cease  their  fertile  yield 
Unless  some  leader  with  a  Seer's  great  gift 
Will  rise,  inspire,  direct  us  and  uplift." 


Conservation  of  Mineral  Resources. 


BY  J.   B,  ZERBE,   CLEVELAND,  OHIO. 

When  notified  by  your  secretary  that  I  was  expected 
to  say  something  to  you  upon  the  Conservation  of  Bitumi- 
nous Coal,  I  was  also  informed  that  Mr.  Traer  of  Chicago 
would  precede  me  in  speaking  on  the  same  subject,  and  as 
he  always  does  well  in  anything  he  undertakes,  I  considered 
it  unnecessary  for  me  to  prepare  a  paper. 

At  the  present  time  the  practical  workers  in  the  pro- 
duction of  bituminous  coal  can  see  no  good  reason  for  tak- 
ing up  the  subject  we  have  before  us,  as  unfortunately  dur- 
ing the  past  year  the  business  of  the  country  has  been  so 
depressed  that  little  coal,  in  our  opinion,  is  being  used  or 
wasted,  and  we  are  hoping  that  in  the  near  future  you  will 
get  busy  and  waste  more  of  the  material  which  we  produce. 

The  time  has  come,  however,  when  some  concerted 
action  must  be  taken,  looking  toward  the  conservation  of  all 
the  natural  resources  of  the  world,  and  particularly  of  the 
deposit  of  coal.  It  is  only  a  short  time  since  we  all  con- 
sidered this  deposit  so  enormous  that  it  seemed  impossible 
ever  to  exhaust  it,  yet  inroads  are  being  made  upon  it  so 
rapidly  that  statisticians  are  looking  forward  to  the  early 
depletion  of  the  coal  deposit. 

I  recall  when  one  of  our  Ohio  roads  was  projected  to 
extend  from  the  harbor  of  Lorain  to  the  Ohio  river,  one  of 
the  then  prominent  men  in  Cleveland  was  asked  for  a  letter 
recommending  the  building  of  this  road,  and  it  was  largely 
upon  his  recommendation  that- this  was  carried  through, 
It  consisted  simply  of  a  letter  which  he  had  written  to  the 
projector,  in  which  he  stated  that  the  road  began  at  the 
harbor  of  Lorain,  which  was  one  of  the  best  on  Lake  Erie, 
and  ran  down  through  fertile  valleys  of  beautiful  farms 
until  it  entered  a  coal  field  which  was  so  extensive  that  the 
supply  would  last  Hell  a  thousand  years.  This  letter  went 
to  New  York,  got  into  the  hands  of  Horace  F.  Clark,  of  the 
Vanderbilt  interests,  who  said  upon  such  a  representation 


182  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

he  was  willing  to  build  the  road.  He  wired  the  gentleman 
who  had  written  the  letter  to  come  to  New  York,  and  evef 
thereafter  while  these  two  men  lived,  the  question  as  to  the 
amount  of  coal  necessary  to  last  the  devil  one  thousand 
years  was  a  source  of  never-ending  discussion.  However, 
at  the  expiration  of  thirty  years  what  was  then  considered 
a  vast  field  of  coal  is  now  about  exhausted,  and  the  owners 
of  the  railroads  have  found  it  necessary  to  extend  into  West 
Virginia,  where  it  is  hoped  they  will  find  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  coal  to  meet  the  above  proposition. 

There  is  a  loss  in  the  use  of  coal  that  equals  vandalism. 
This  loss  occurs  not  only  in  the  producing,  but  also  in  the 
consumption.  We  believe  vast  improvements  can  be  made 
in  the  producing  of  coal.  Too  much  is  left  in  the  ground. 
We  think  that  scientific  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  govern- 
ment or  the  several  state  governments  would  assist  in  sav- 
ing this  waste  for  the  future.  The  greatest  waste  in  the  use 
of  coal  is  in  the  method  of  consumption. 

Ever  since  the  steam  boiler  has  been  in  use,  we  have 
utilized  not  to  exceed  ten  per  cent  of  the  coal  consumed. 
This  waste  cannot  go  on  indefinitely,  but  it  must  be  left  to 
the  scientific  investigation  of  men  capably  of  grappling 
with  it,  and  they  will  find  a  solution  to  the  problem.  The 
coal  producers  of  this  country  are  willing  that  you  should 
find  any  means  that  would  save  the  waste  of  this  material, 
even  though  temporarily  it  might  work  a  hardship  upon 
the  business,  but  in  all  matters  touching  such  a  great  in- 
dustry as  this  we  must  be  exceedingly  careful.  Do  not  ex- 
pect to  accomplish  in  a  year  or  in  a  decade  what  the  good 
Lord  evidently  intended  we  should  be  centuries  in  discover- 
ing. Whenever  a  great  necessity  arises,  means  are  found, 
and  it  will  not  be  long  perhaps  before  the  proper  solution 
will  save  this  great  material  to  the  world.  Make  haste 
slowly. 

Let  this  great  American  Mining  Congress  do  all  it  can 
looking  to  the  safety  of  the  lives  of  those  employed  in  the 
production  of  coal.  To  me  this  is  the  primary  question 
which  is  before  you  now — protection  of  the  life  of  the  man 
who  leaves  his  home  in  the  morning  and  enters  into  this 


CONSERVATION  OF  MINERAL  RESOURCES.  183 

work  to  support  his  wife  and  children,  to  better  their  con- 
dition, to  educate  and  uplift  them,  and  in  the  evening  is 
laid  low  in  the  mine. 

No  man  will  protest  against  any  measures  you  may  take 
looking  to  the  safety  of  the  individual,  but  do  not  do  it 
hurriedly,  excitedly,  or  in  any  way  political.  Let  the  gov- 
ernment appoint  the  most  scientific  men  they  can  lay  their 
hands  on,  let  these  men  know  all  the  conditions  surround- 
ing each  and  all  the  mines,  and  intelligently  work  out  this 
problem  At  present  the  cause  of  these  great  disasters  is 
not  known.  Some  force  buried  underneath  the  ground, 
some  chemical  composition  coming  in  contact  with  the  air 
or  the  fire  causes  these  great  explosions. 

No  one  will  question  the  fact  that  the  owners  of  the 
property  on  which  the  recent  disaster  occurred,  made  every 
effort  to  make  their  new  plant  one  of  the  best  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. We  all  know  that  Mr.  Jones  prided  himself  upon 
the  fact  that  he  was  doing  so,  and  yet  immediately  follow- 
ing the  investigation  of  the  mine  inspector  this  horrible 
tragedy  occurred.  Evidently  the  lamps  did  not  indicate 
any  trouble,  the  men  were  all  unconscious  of  it,  and  yet  it 
came.  The  remedy  must  come  from  the  brain  of  the  scien- 
tist who  has  been  educated  in  chemistry  and  in  mine  en- 
gineering, and  who  knows  conditions  surrounding  the  at- 
mosphere of  the  mine  and  its  supports,  and  if  the  Mine 
Bureau  is  created,  let  it  be  so  conducted  by  men  of  high 
character  and  ability  that  when  conclusions  have  been  ar- 
rived at,  we  will  not  question  them.  And  so  with  all  the 
industries. 

The  one  in  which  I  am  more  particularly  interested  is 
that  of  the  timber  of  the  country.  The  beautiful  forests 
should  be  no  longer  laid  waste,  if  it  is  possible  to  find  a  way 
to  stop  their  destruction,  but  whatever  effort  is  made  by 
the  government  should  not  have  the  effect  of  restricting  any 
industry,  and  men  who  want  to  use  timber  should  have  it  in 
plenty,  not  to  waste  but  to  use.  As  the  forests  are  cut  they 
should  be  replaced  by  plenty  of  young  trees  on  the  wasted 
land,  wherever  such  land  may  be  found.  The  general  gov- 
ernment and  the  states  should  insist  upon  replanting  these 


184  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

trees,  and  such  an  undertaking  will  prove  a  profitable  in- 
vestment to  the  one  who  makes  it. 

I  planted  10,000  trees  three  years  ago.  I  can  see  them 
growing,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  watch  them.  The  increase 
in  their  value  may  be  better  than  a  ten  per  cent  investment. 
The  government  encourages  such  planting  and  is  very  gen- 
erous. Men  are  sent  out  to  analyze  the  soil  and  will  tell  you 
the  sort  of  tree  you  should  plant  in  any  given  locality,  and 
when  requested  to  do  so  the  government  will  send  you  men 
to  see  that  the  trees  are  properly  planted  and  also  will  give 
them  supervision  after  they  have  been  planted,  and  watch 
their  growth. 

If  the  Bureau  of  Mining  established  by  the  government 
would  be  conducted  on  the  wise  basis  upon  which  they  are 
conducting  the  forestry  work,  then  I  say  God  speed  the  time 
when  we  will  have  such  a  Mining  Bureau. 

The  American  Mining  Congress  is  to  be  congratulated 
upon  the  personnel  of  its  organization.  I  have  never  met 
in  convention  with  men  who  so  impressed  me  with  the  seri- 
ousness of  their  intentions,  or  the  honesty  of  their  convic- 
tions, and  I  trust  it  may  be  my  pleasure  to  meet  with  you 
again. 


Conservation  in  the  Coal  Industry. 


BY    JOHN    MITCHELL,    EX-PRESIDENT    U.    M.    W.    OP    A. 
NEW    /ORK  CITY. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  Last  summer  the 
President  of  the  United  States  did  me  the  honor  to  invite 
me  to  address  a  meeting  of  governors  which  he  called  at 
Washington  to  discuss  the  question  of  the  conservation  of 
the  nation's  natural  resources.  I  chose  at  that  time  to  dis- 
cuss the  conservation  of  our  fuel  resources,  and  incidentally 
to  discuss  the  protection  of  human  life.  I  took  occasion  to 
say  that  in  my  opinion  one  of  the  chiefest  causes  of  the 
waste  of  our  coal  was  its  cheapness,  that  coal  was  so  cheap 
that  consumers  could  afford  to  be  extravagant.  Shortly 
thereafter  I  received  a  letter  from  a  gentleman  in  a  New 
England  town  saying  that  the  retail  coal  dealer  in  his  place 
had  acted  on  my  suggestion  and  had  raised  the  price  of  coal. 
(Laughter). 

Now,  in  what  I  say  upon  this  subject  this  morning,  I 
want  to  have  this  borne  in  mind — and  if  the  newspapers 
report  anything  of  what  I  say  I  wish  that  they  would  report 
this  part — that  I  do  not  believe  the  householders  or  the  do- 
mestic consumers  of  the  coal  are  paying  too  little  for  it.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  domestic  consumers  of  coal  are  paying 
altogether  too  much  for  what  they  burn;  and  the  large  con- 
sumers of  coal  are  paying  altogether  too  little. 

I  have  been  informed  by  several  large  coal  companies, 
or  the  representatives  of  several  large  coal  companies,  that 
the  entire  profit  on  their  business  is  made  upon  some  ten  to 
twenty -five  per  cent  of  their  production.  That  means  that 
the  small  consumer  of  coal  is  paying  all  the  profits  of  the 
industry,  and  that  the  railroad  and  large  manufacturing 
companies  are  buying  their  coal  at  cost  and  sometimes  at 
less  than  cost.  Now,  what  is  needed,  in  my  judgment,  is 
that  the  large  consumers  of  coal  shall  pay  a  higher  price 
for  it.  When  they  pay  more  for  their  coal  they  will  not  be 
likely  to  use  it  with  such  prodigality.  And  if  coal  producers 


186  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

can  secure  higher  prices  for  their  products,  the  probabili- 
ties are  that  they  will  mine  it  without  so  much  waste.  As 
Mr.  Zerbe  has  so  well  stated,  in  the  consumption  of  coal 
only  ten  per  cent,  oftentimes  only  five  per  cent,  of  the  heat 
units  are  utilized.  The  layman,  unfamiliar  with  the  produc- 
tion of  coal,  would  hardly  believe  you  if  you  were  to  tell  him 
that  ninety  per  cent  of  every  ton  of  coal  burned  is  wasted, 
that  only  ten  per  cent  of  each  ton  of  coal  is  actually  used. 
That  is  to  say,  only  ten  per  cent  of  the  heat  units  of  all  coal 
consumed  is  used  for  either  heating,  lighting  or  motive 
power.  The  remaining  ninety  per  cent  either  goes  up  in 
smoke  or  is  hauled  out  in  ashes.  There  has  been  a  device 
in  use  within  the  last  few  years  by  which  coal  may  be  con- 
verted into  gas  and  the  gas  used  for  fuel,  and  in  that  way 
they  have  been  able  to  use  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  per 
cent  of  the  heat  units.  You  can  readily  understand  that  if 
it  were  possible  to  adopt  this  method  in  the  consumption 
of  all  coal,  instead  of  requiring  480,000,000  tons  of  coal  to 
supply  our  needs,  as  it  did  last  year,  240,000,000  tons  would 
be  sufficient  to  give  us  all  the  heat,  motive  and  lighting 
power  that  we  would  require.  And  no  doubt  by  the  pro- 
cess of  invention  the  time  will  come  when  fifty  or  sixty  per 
cent  of  the  heat  units  of  all  fuel  produced  will  be  used  for 
motive  power. 

There  is  another  phase  of  the  question.  If  operators 
were  to  secure  a  reasonable  price  for  all  their  fuel  it  would 
enable  them  to  produce  a  vast  amount  of  coal  that  now  goes 
to  waste.  Because  of  the  low  price  of  coal  at  the  mines, 
mine  owners  only  take  from  the  earth  that  portion  of  the 
coal  that  they  can  produce  cheaply,  leaving  there  irreclaim- 
able the  coal  that  cannot  be  produced  at  a  sufficiently  small 
cost  to  sell  in  the  markets  of  this  day.  I  believe  that  in  the 
last  year  the  average  value  of  coal  at  the  mines  was  about 
$1.14  a  ton.  The  average  of  coal  at  the  mines  of  England, 
Germany,  France,  Belgium  and  other  coal  producing  coun- 
tries is  nearly  double  that  amount.  In  other  words,  in  the 
old  countries  the  consumers  of  coal  pay  twice  as  much  for 
their  fuel  as  they  do  in  America;  and  bear  in  mind  that 


CONSERVATION  IN  THE  COAL  INDUSTRY.  187 

when  $1.14  a  ton  is  the  average  value  of  coal  at  the  mines, 
that  means  that  the  railroads  and  the  great  manufacturing 
companies  are  purchasing  their  fuel  for  less  than  $1.00  a  ton 
and  the  domestic  consumer  and  the  small  manufacturer  are 
paying  vastly  more  than  $1.14  a  ton. 

I  think,  speaking,  not  as  an  operator,  and  having  no 
pecuniary  interest  at  all  in  his  well  being,  that  what  I  say 
upon  the  subject  of  increasing  the  cost  of  coal  to  the  con- 
sumer will  not  be  attributed  to  any  selfish  motive.  I  have 
this  motive  in  it,  however — aside  from  my  desire  to  see  our 
fuel  resources  conserved  so  that  future  generations  may 
share  in  the  benefits  with  which  God  has  so  bountifully  en- 
dowed us — that  operators  shall  be  able  to  afford  to  the  mine 
workers  a  larger  share  of  protection  than  is  now  enjoyed. 
And  it  is  with  that  phase  of  the  subject  that  I  am  vitally  con- 
cerned. Gentlemen,  it  is  a  standing  disgrace  to  the  people 
of  our  country  that  more  men  are  killed  in  our  industries 
than  in  the  industries  of  any  other  country  in  the  world. 
It  is  with  a  sense  of  shame  that  we  admit  that  for  every  man 
killed  in  the  mining  industry  of  the  old  world,  we  here  in 
America  kill  three  or  four.  I  want  to  make  an  analysis  of 
the  latest  figures  submitted  by  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey,  and  I  want  to  introduce  into  this  analysis  a  phase 
of  the  question  which  I  think  has  heretofore  received  little 
consideration. 

As  you  know,  I  am  a  trade  unionist ;  I  am  a  trade  union- 
ist first,  last  and  all  the  time.  I  am  a  trade  unionist  because 
I  believe  that  through  the  organization  of  labor  the  work- 
ingmen  of  our  country,  the  workingmen  of  the  world,  must 
receive  all  their  protection.  I  am  a  trade  unionist  not  be- 
cause I  am  at  war  with  capital,  but  I  am  a  trade  unionist 
because  I  want  conciliation  with  capital.  I  want  to  live  in 
peace  and  harmony  with  capital,  and  I  believe  that  through 
our  trade  unions  we  can  do  so. 

A  peculiar  thing  about  the  mining  industry  is  that  more 
non-union  men  are  killed  than  union  men.  None  will  deny 
that  the  unions  will  raise  wages  and  reduce  hours  and  im- 
prove the  conditions  of  the  employes.  But  a  good  many  will 


188  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

deny  that  the  unions  save  life.  And  yet  as  a  matter  of  fact 
the  figures  submitted  in  the  Government  reports  demon- 
strate beyond  the  peradventure  of  a  doubt  that  the  greatest 
factor  in  the  conservation  of  human  life  is  the  much  ma- 
ligned organizations  of  labor.  I  have  taken  the  statistics  of 
coal  producing  states  and  grouped  them  into  divisions  show- 
ing the  number  killed  per  thousand  employed,  the  number 
killed  per  thousand  tons  produced  in  the  thoroughly  organ- 
ized states,  in  the  partially  organized  states  and  in  the  prac- 
tically unorganized  states,  and  I  ask  you  to  pay  attention 
to  these  figures.  The  following  states  are  thoroughly  or- 
ganized and  men  cannot  work  in  the  mines  unless  they  are 
members  of  the  United  Mine  Workers  of  America:  Ar- 
kansas, Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Michigan,  Missouri, 
Ohio  and  Oklahoma.  The  average  number  of  men  killed 
per  thousand  employed  in  all  those  states  was  2.47.  The 
figures  .given  are  for  1907. 

These  are  partially  organized  states :  Pennsylvania  an- 
thracite Pennsylvania  bituminous,  and  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington the  average  number  killed  per  thousand  employed 
was  5.07. 

These  are  unorganized  states:  Alabama,  Colorado, 
New  Mexico  and  West  Virginia.  The  average  number  killed 
per  thousand  employed  in  these  non-union  states  was  9.49. 
In  West  Virginia  they  killed  12.35  men  for  every  thousand 
employed;  whereas  in  the  state  of  Missouri,  giving  the  two 
extremes,  they  killed  only  .95.  They  killed  nearly  fourteen 
times  as  many  men  per  thousand  employed  in  West  Virginia 
as  they  did  in  Missouri.  About  two  years  ago  the  governor 
of  West  Virginia  called  a  conference  of  representative  coal 
operators  and  coal  miners,  and  assuming  that  I  knew  some- 
thing of  the  subject  of  coal  mining,  he  invited  me  to  attend, 
and  I  was  very  glad  to  accept  his  invitation.  Unfortunately 
it  was  rumored  through  the  state  that  I  was  coming  there, 
and  the  operators  stayed  away  and  the  governor  stayed 
away. 

If  there  is  one  state  in  America  requiring  mining  legis- 
lation and  decent  treatment  of  coal  miners  in  order  that 


CONSERVATION  IN  THE  COAL  INDUSTRY.  189 

their  lives  and  limbs  may  be  preserved,  it  is  the  state  of 
West  Virginia.  Now  it  may  appear  to  some  that  these  fig- 
ures just  happen  to  show  that  more  men  are  killed  in  West 
Virginia  than  in  Missouri,  or  that  more  men  are  killed  in 
Alabama,  Colorado,  New  Mexico  and  West  Virginia  than  in 
the  other  states  that  I  have  named — that  it  may  just  have 
happened  that  way,  or  that  it  was  simply  an  act  of  God,  or 
that  the  natural  conditions  of  mining  are  not  so  safe,  so 
favorable  in  those  states  as  in  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  Illinois 
and  Indiana.  But  as  a  matter  of  fact,  as  every  well-in- 
formed coal  mining  man  can  tell  you,  the  natural  and  physi- 
cal conditions  of  mining  in  West  Virginia,  Colorado  and 
Alabama  are  safer  than  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania.  Yet 
they  killed  in  West  Virginia  eight  more  men  per  thousand 
employed  than  they  did  in  Pennsylvania,  and  Pennsylvania 
killed  four  men  per  thousand  employed  for  every  one  they 
killed  in  Missouri. 

It  seems  to  me  that  these  figures  are  susceptible  of  no 
other  interpretation  than  that  where  men  are  organized  and 
are  able  to  act  in  concert  they  will  refuse  to  work  in  a  dan- 
gerous place  and  will  not  permit  one  of  their  number  to  be 
discharged  or  discriminated  against  who  refuses  to  work  in 
an  unsafe  place.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  have  many  in- 
stances in  which  men  have  not  only  supported  one  of  their 
number  who  refused  to  work  in  a  place  known  to  be  unsafe, 
but  wherein  they  have  struck  rather  than  see  their  brother 
miner  killed.  And  much  as  I  regret  strikes  I  am  free  to  con- 
fess to  you  that  I  should  sustain  the  miners  without  hesita- 
tion, if  they  struck  in  defense  of  the  life  of  one  of  their 
brothers.  Another  thing,  where  men  are  organized  they  are 
able  to  secure  legislation,  and  they  cannot  do  it  unless  they 
are  organized.  And  what  is  equally  important,  where  the 
men  aro  organized  and  where  they  act  together  the  laws  are 
better  enforced  and  there  are  better  mine  inspectors  than 
in  the  states  where  the  men  are  unorganized. 

What  is  required,  gentlemen,  to  preserve  the  lives  of 
these  men  who  spend  so  much  of  their  time  in  the  earth  and 
not  on  it,  is  better  mining  laws  and  the  rigid  enforcement 
of  the  laws  now  on  the  statute  books.  There  is  no  good  rea- 


190  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

son  why  in  America  4.86  men  should  be  killed  for  every 
thousand  employed.  In  France  they  killed  .91  men  per  thou- 
sand, less  than  one  man  for  each  1,000  employed  annually. 
We  would  indignantly  deny  that  any  continental  country  is 
as  highly  civilized  as  we  are  in  America.  We  would  regard 
it  as  an  insult  if  some  fellow  were  to  come  over  from  Belgium 
and  say,  "We  are  in  advance  of  you  Americans."  And 
yet  in  Belgium  they  killed  only  one  man  for  each  thousand 
employed  in  the  mines;  we  killed  4.86  men  per  thousand  em- 
ployed last  year.  In  Great  Britain  they  killed  1.28;  and  in 
Prussia  2.06,  as  against  our  4.86. 

Taking  the  same  group  of  states  referred  to  before,  and 
dividing  them  into  groups  of  union,  non-union  and  partially 
unionized,  we  find  that  in  Arkansas,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa, 
Kansas,  Michigan,  Missouri,  Ohio  and  Oklahoma  they  pro- 
duced last  year  an  average  of  246,707  tons  of  coal  for  each 
man  killed.  In  Pennsylvania  bituminous  and  Pennsylvania 
anthracite,  and  in  the  state  of  Washington,  which  were  par- 
tially organized,  they  produced  an  average  of  136,476  tons 
of  coal  for  each  man  they  killed.  In  the  non-union  states, 
Alabama,  Colorado,  New  Mexico  and  West  Virginia,  they 
produced  an  average  of  only  86,204  tons  of  coal  for  each  man 
killed 

Last  year  they  killed  in  the  coal  mines  of  America 
3,125  men,  and  seriously  injured — because  only  the  cases  of 
serious  injury  are  reported — 5,316  men.  Gentlemen,  if  a 
great  war  should  occur  during  our  lives,  and  in  some  of  the 
battles  it  should  be  reported  that  3,000  men  were  killed  and 
5,000  men  were  seriously  injured,  the  whole  world  would 
stand  aghast  and  our  humanitarians  would  cry  aloud 
against  this  devastation  of  human  life.  Yet  day  by  day, 
hour  by  hour,  in  this  peaceful  industry,  men  are  unneces- 
sarily sacrificing  their  lives.  Right  now — today — not  less 
than  ten  men  will  be  killed;  yesterday  that  number  lost  their 
lives.  To-morrow  ten  or  twenty  will  be  killed  and  to-mor- 
row's to-morrow  and  the  following  time  until  the  laws  are 
changed,  ten  to  twenty  men  will  be  killed  daily  in  the  mines. 
And  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it? 

What  are  we  going  to  do  about  this  awful  loss  of  life? 


CONSERVATION  IN  THE  COAL  INDUSTRY.  191 

Mr.  Ztrbe  suggests  the  importance  of  preserving  the  lives 
and  limbs  of  the  coal  mine  workers,  but  suggests  that  we  go 
slowly  and  be  sure.  I  have  no  doubt  that  that  advice  is 
well  intended.  But,  gentlemen,  these  are  human  lives! 
These  are  men  just  like  you  and  me,  who  are  going  to  die 
to-day  and  to-morrow;  and  they  are  not  willing  to  wait. 
The  dependents  of  these  men  are  not  willing  to  wait  an  in- 
definite time  for  a  remedy.  The  situation  has  grown  worse 
year  by  year.  Every  year  for  the  past  twenty  has  shown  an 
increase  in  the  number  of  men  killed,  an  increase  in  the  per- 
centage of  men  killed,  an  increase  in  the  number  of-  men 
killed  per  thousand  tons  of  coal  produced,  and  I  think  it  is 
time  for  us  to  decide  upon  some  definite  policy.  Of  course 
some  may  ask  what  I  should  recommend,  and  I  am  going  to 
tell  you. 

I  am  not  a  scientific  man  by  any  means,  and  I  do  not 
understand  nor  profess  to  understand  the  composition  of 
gases,  nor  am  I  able  to  tell  the  cause  of  all  mine  explosions, 
but  I  do  say,  gentlemen,  that  there  is  only  one  way  to  pre- 
vent men  from  being  killed  by  mine  explosions,  and  that  is 
to  have  the  men  out  of  the  mine  and  have  them  out  while 
they  are  alive,  not  carry  them  out  after  they  are  dead. 
There  is  no  necessity  for  a  large  number  of  men  being  killed 
in  a  mine  explosion,  because  it  is  a  simple  matter  to  employ 
only  two  men  or  four  men  in  any  one  mine  in  America  to 
discharge  all  the  shots  and  do  it  at  a  time  when  the  other 
men  are  at  home.  The  introduction  of  shot  firers  does  not 
mean  a  material  increase  in  the  cost  of  production.  It 
means  the  expediture  of  only  y%  cent,  or  not  to  exceed  2 
cents,  per  ton,  and  I  believe  that  the  consumers  of  coal 
would  not  protest  against  a  payment  of  one  or  two  cents 
more  for  their  fuel  if  they  knew  that  in  doing  so  a  thousand 
or  two  thousand  lives  were  saved  every  year.  That  is  one 
method,  gentlemen,  of  saving  lives.  That  will  save  the  lives 
now  lost  from  mine  explosions,  that  is  explosions  caused 
from  firing  shots ;  and  I  believe  that  nearly  all  the  great  ex- 
plosions have  come  about  by  a  badly  placed  shot  or  what 
we  call  a  "blown-out"  shot. 


192  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

There  is  another  way  to  save  life,  and  that  is  to  re- 
quire that  any  man  who  works  in  a  mine  shall  be  competent 
to  do  so.  You  know  of  late  years  mining  has  been  revolu- 
tionized, in  respect  to  the  character  of  the  men  who  mine 
coal.  When  I  was  a  boy,  mining  was  a  trade  and  all  the 
men  who  mined  coal  took  pride  in  being  skilled  miners. 
We  regarded  that  as  our  life  work,  and  every  man  wanted  to 
do  his  work  well.  He  felt  the  same  pride  in  his  trade  that 
professional  men  feel  in  their  professions,  or  a  tradesman 
feels  in  his  business.  The  men  who  have  sought  employ- 
ment at  the  mines  in  the  past  twenty  years  are  not  the 
skilled  miners,  not  the  tradesmen,  but  men  recently  arrived 
from  continental  Europe;  in  most  cases  men  who  never 
saw  a  coal  mine  in  their  lives,  and  possibly  never  burned  a 
ton  of  coal  in  all  their  existence.  It  is  the  small  hand  farmer 
from  the  rural  districts  of  continental  countries  who  comes 
to  our  shores  and  goes  to  the  mines  and  who  is  welcomed 
there  and  given  employment,  and  no  question  is  asked  as  to 
whether  he  is  experienced;  he  is  put  to  work  mining  the  coal. 
And  is  it  any  wonder  that  these  inexperienced  farm  laborers 
of  continetal  Europe  not  only  destroy  themselves  but  oft- 
times,  through  their  inexperience,  destroy  the  lives  of  their 
fellow  workers  in  the  mines?  I  believe  that  greater  care 
should  be  exercised  in  -the  selection  of  the  men  who  shall 
mine  our  coal.  It  may  be  all  right  for  men  to  commit  sui- 
cide, but  it  is  not  all  right  for  them  to  commit  murder.  A 
man  may  have  a  right  to  destroy  himself,  but  we  must  see 
to  it  that  he  destroys  no  one  else.  And  let  me  say  now  that 
in  a  coal  mine  you  might  have  500  of  the  most  experienced 
men  it  is  possible  to  employ,  and  only  one  inexperienced 
man,  and  that  one  man  would  kill  all  the  rest.  Not  knowing 
what  to  do,  he  goes  to  a  place  where  he  should  not  be,  or  he 
explodes  gas,  or  he  fires  a  shot  in  his  coal  in  such  a  manner 
that  it  causes  a  blown-out  shot,  which  is  followed  by  a  dust 
explosion  and  every  life  in  that  mine  is  wiped  out.  We 
need  protection,  gentlemen,  and  we  need  laws  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  miners;  we  need  protection  for  the  women  and 
childeren  who  are  dependent  upon  these  men  in  the  mine. 


CONSERVATION  IN  THE  COAL  INDUSTRY.  193 

And  I  am  going  to  suggest,  even  at  the  risk  of  tiring  yonr 
patience,  that  the  time  is  here  now  when  some  adequate  pro- 
vision should  be  made  to  take  care  of  these  widows  and  or- 
phans and  for  these  injured  miners. 

Last  year  there  were  produced  and  sold  in  our  country 
480,000,000  tons  of  coal.  A  tax  of  one  cent  a  ton  would  give 
to  the  dependents  of  each  mine  worker  who  was  killed  a 
thousand  dollars;  it  would  give  to  each  injured  miner  $500, 
and  yet  there  would  be  a  balance  left  of  over  $300,000.00. 
The  coal  produced  last  year  had  a  market  value  of  $615,000,- 
000.00.  Two-thirds  of  one  per  cent  of  the  market  value  of 
that  coal  would  give  to  the  dependents  of  every  miner  who 
has  been  killed  $1,000.00,  and  $500.00  to  every  injured 
miner.  Gentlemen,  that  is  not  too  much  to  ask.  It  is  not 
much  to  ask  that  the  dependents  of  a  man  who  has  given  his 
life  in  the  mine  or  the  man  who  has  been  injured  in  the  mine 
should  receive  from  that  industry  a  fair  compensation  for 
his  life  or  for  his  injury.  I'believe  that  each  industry  should 
be  charged  with  the  responsibility  of  not  only  protecting 
the  men  at  work,  but  also  providing  for  their  families  if  they 
are  killed,  or  for  them  and  their  dependents  if  they  are  in- 
jured. 

It  may  seem  an  injustice  to  require  one  coal  operator  or 
one  coal  company  to  pay  the  expense  incurred  by  disaster  at 
the  mines  of  another  coal  company,  but  unless  that  pro- 
vision is  made,  then  you  might  as  well  not  provide  for  com- 
pensation at  all. 

Let  me  illustrate.  Let  us  assume  that  the  mine  of  the 
Pittsburgh  and  Buffalo  Coal  Company  which  blew  up  the 
other  day  was  the  only  mine  that  company  had.  Could  they 
compensate  the  men  or  the  dependents  of  the  men  killed 
there!  Why,  they  would  not  have  anything  to  do  it  with; 
whereas  if  a  tax  were  levied  upon  the  entire  coal  industry 
of  the  country  or  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  it  would 
amount  to  so  little  per  ton  that  no  one  would  feel  it  seri- 
ously. You  understand  the  difference  between  the  compen- 
sation laws  of  England  and  Germany. 

In  England  if  a  man  is  killed  the  coal  company  employ- 


194  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

ing  him  must  pay  to  his  dependents  an  amount  equal  to 
$1,500.00.  There  is  no  question  of  law  about  it,  no  question 
of  going  to  court  about  it;  they  have  got  to  pay  it.  And  if 
a  man  is  injured  in  one  of  their  mines,  even  though  his  in- 
jury is  the  result  of  contributory  negligence,  the  coal  com- 
pany employing  him  must  pay  to  him  an  amount  equal  to 
half  of  what  he  would  have  earned  each  week,  a  sum  not  to 
exceed  $5.00  per  week.  In  Germany  if  a  man  is  killed  in 
the  mines,  or  any  industry,  all  the  employers  in  that  par- 
ticular industry  contribute  to  a  fund  from  which  the  depend- 
ents of  that  man  are  paid  not  only  a  specific  sum  at  his 
death,  but  a  pension  for  the  rest  of  their  lives.  Both  in  Eng- 
land and  Germany,  when  it  was  proposed  to  enact  this  law, 
a  protest  went  up  that  the  enactment  of  such  legislation 
would  lead  to  the  destruction  and  bankruptcy  of  the  indus- 
try. As  a  matter  of  fact,  in  Great  Britain  the  cost  of  pro- 
viding for  these  death  and  accident  payments  has  proven 
less  than  the  coal  operators  formerly  paid  for  liability  insur- 
ance; and  while  I  do  not  know  the  amount  paid  by  the  coal 
companies  in  America  for  liability  insurance,  I  believe  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  they  pay  either  for  their  insurance  or  in  de- 
fending suits  for  damages,  more  than  one  cent  a  ton.  And 
if  it  does  cost  them  one  cent  a  ton  or  one-half  cent  a  ton 
to  pay  for  liability  insurance  and  to  defend  suits  against 
them  for  damages,  how  much  better  would  it  be  that  the 
money  thus  spent  should  be  paid  directly  to  the  dependents 
of  a  man  who  has  been  killed  or  to  a  man  who  has  been  in- 
jured than  given  to  some  law  firms  and  wasted  in  our  courts. 
I  am  told  that  in  the  city  of  New  York  seven- tenths  of 
all  the  time  consumed  by  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  court 
is  given  to  the  hearing  of  suits  for  damages  in  cases  of  in- 
jury. I  say,  gentlemen,  it  would  be  much  to  our  credit,  it 
would  be  a  great  evidence  of  humanity,  it  would  be  an  in- 
dication of  justice,  if  we  should  try  to  get  together  and  fix 
up  some  arrangement  not  only  to  prevent  the  terrible  acci- 
dents that  have  become  so  numerous  that  they  no  longer 
shock  the  moral  conscience  of  the  people,  but  also  to  provide 
in  some  manner  to  take  care  of  these  widows  and  orphans 


CONSERVATION  IN  THE  COAL  INDUSTRY.  195 

and  of  the  poor  fellow  who  has  been  injured.  If  we  should 
do  that  in  the  mining  industry  we  should  do  something  that 
would  be  an  everlasting  credit  to  us. 

My  friends,  I  have  probably  consumed  more  than  my 
measure  of  the  time.  But  I  feel  very  earnestly  about  this 
matter.  I  feel  keenly  the  fact  that  every  year  sees  an  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  widows  and  orphans  as  the  result 
of  mine  disasters.  And  I  want  to  predict  now  that  unless 
there  is  some  change  for  the  better,  the  miners  are  going  to 
stop  appealing  for  relief;  they  are  going  to  become  indig- 
nant at  these  unnecessary  deaths  and  accidents.  Of  course 
the  man  going  down  in  the  mine  himself  little  thinks  that 
he  may  be  the  next — he  gets  so  accustomed  to  the  danger 
that  he  is  not  afraid  of  it.  But  with  these  explosions  occur- 
ring at  frequent  intervals  and  the  great  number  of  men 
whose  lives  are  lost  something  is  going  to  be  done  to  get 
relief,  and  how  much  better  it  would  be  if  in  some  sane  and 
economical  way  we  could  make  provision  for  their  safety; 
make  provision  for  them  if  injured  and  for  others  after  they 
are  dead ! 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  give  to  the  coal  operators  a 
price  for  their  product  that  will  enable  them  not  only  to 
take  out  all  the  coal  in  the  ground,  but  also  to  provide  for 
the  safety  of  the  men  and  compensate  the  dependents  of 
those  who  are  killed.  I  say  that  is  the  first  thing;  that  the 
large  consumer  shall  pay  more  for  coal  and  that"  the  in- 
creased profits  shall  be  used  not  only  to  pay  good  wages,  to 
give  improved  conditions  of  employment,  also  to  provide 
adequately  for  the  victims  of  a  restless  progress.  (Great 
applause). 


The  Installation  of  Electricity  in  Mines. 


BY   W.    A.    THOMAS,    COMMERCIAL   ENGINEER,    WESTINGHOUSE 

ELECTRIC   AND   MANUFACTURING    COMPANY, 

PITTSBURGH,    PA. 

It  is  not  the  intention  of  this  paper  to  dwell  upon  the 
general  subject  of  the  use  of  electricity  in  mining  operations, 
but  to  deal  more  particularly  with  the  manner  of  installa- 
tion and  operation  of  electric  conductors  and  apparatus  in 
underground  mine  workings. 

While  the  suggestions  offered  can  readily  be  applied  to 
the  general  mining  work,  they  are  made  with  more  particu- 
lar reference  to  the  coal  mining  work,  in  connection  with 
which  the  matter  of  precautions  for  the  safety  of  employes 
and  property  is  being  given  careful  consideration  at  the 
present  time. 

It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  account  for  conditions  which 
have  become  more  or  less  permanent.  The  mystery  with 
which  electricity  has  been  regarded  has  led  to  the  custom 
of  attributing  to  it  the  responsibility  for  many  actions  sim- 
ply because  they  could  not  otherwise  be  accounted  for. 
"  Defective  wiring "  has  long  been  the  reason  for  fire  in 
buildings  even  though  leaky  gas  pipes  or  oil  lamps  may  have 
been  a  factor  in  many  cases. 

In  like  manner  has  electricity  been  blamed  for  accidents 
in  coal  mines,  where  many  other  causes  might  as  consistent- 
ly have  been  found.  In  some  states  the  attitude  of  the  jn- 
spection  department  has  been  thought  to  be  hostile  to  the  use 
of  electricity  in  the  mines,  but  it  is  more  reasonable  to  be- 
lieve that  decisions  which  appear  unfavorable  are  the  result 
of  a  failure  to  comprehend  fully  the  results  to  be  expected 
from  a  given  set  of  conditions. 

In  the  sincere  effort  of  the  leading  operators  to  deter- 
mine precautionary  measures  for  the  safety  of  employes,  the 
question  arises  what,  if  any,  are  the  limitations  to  be  placed 
on  the  use  of  electricity  in  the  coal  mines.  In  like  manner, 
the  various  commissions  appointed  to  investigate  the  ques- 


THE  INSTALLATION  OP  ELECTRICITY  IN  MINES.  197 

tion  of  mine  laws  and  regulations  to  safeguard  the  lives  of 
employes  in  mines,  are  confronted  with  the  same  question. 

It  is  fully  recognized  by  mine  owners  and  operators 
that  some  attempt  at  uniformity  in  methods  should  be  es- 
tablished regarding  the  manner  of  installing  electricity. 
This  would  have  many  beneficial  results,  important  among 
which  are,  first,  a  better  understanding  on  the  part  of  men 
doing  installation  work  of  just  how  it  should  be  done;  sec- 
ond, a  more  careful  study  would  be  made  to  determine  the 
best  practice  to  follow  under  a  given  set  of  conditions ;  third, 
a  uniform  system  of  installing  would  train  the  miners  where 
to  look  for  danger  and  what  to  expect  in  the  way  of  results 
from  certain  uniform  causes. 

Electricity  has  come  to  play  so  important  a  part  in  the 
production  of  coal  that  most  careful  consideration  should 
be  given  to  the  question  before  establishing  many  "Thou 
shalts ' '  and  ' i  Thou  shalt  nots, ' '  which  may  or  may  not  have 
the  desired  results. 

The  treatment  of  this  question  to  date  has  been  widely 
different  in  different  states,  but  it  was  hoped  that  the  con- 
ference of  Governors  of  many  coal  producing  states  in  Pitts- 
burgh early  in  December  would  result  in  a  more  uniform 
and  satisfactory  method  of  solving  the  question  for  all  con- 
ditions. 

It  is  recognized  that  many  of  the  suggested  changes  in 
methods  of  mining  must  necessarily  increase  .the  cost  of 
producing  coal  and  to  adopt  these  changes  in  one  state  and 
not  in  another  must  necessarily  work  to  the  disadvantage 
of  the  industry  in  the  state  making  the  most  reforms.  The 
conference,  therefore,  of  the  various  Governors  of  coal  pro- 
ducing states  will  doubtless  be  of  far  reaching  benefit  to  the 
industry. 

In  Ohio  the  inspection  department,  it  is  understood, 
prepared  and  presented  to  the  legislature  and  had  estab- 
lished, certain  rules  with  reference  to  installing  and  operat- 
ing electrical  apparatus,  which  in  their  mind  would  prove 
effective  in  safeguarding  men  and  mules  in  the  mines  of  that 
state.  Once  established,  these  rules  were  found  to  be  in- 
effective and  inoperative.  In  fact,  the  enforcement  of  some 


198  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

of  them  would  render  the  mines  in  most  cases  more  danger- 
ous from  other  causes;  for  example,  the  cutting  of  a  groove 
in  the  roof  deep  enough  to  bring  the  trolley  wire  even  with 
the  roof. 

Discretionary  power  was  then  given  the  inspectors  in 
the  matter  of  enforcing  certain  of  the  rules.  Such  a  con- 
dition always  gives  rise  to  a  difference  of  opinion,  and  leaves 
room  for  the  fear  of  discrimination. 

The  question  is  now  being  considered  by  a  commission 
appointed  from  the  ranks  of  the  inspection  department  and 
of  the  operators  to  settle  upon  just  and  consistent  measures 
which  can  be  made  effective. 

In  Pennsylvania  there  have  been  no  rules  of  conse- 
quence as  applying  to  electrical  installations,  except  in  the 
matter  of  their  use  in  gaseous  mines.  There  has  been  a 
commission  appointed  by  Governor  Stuart  for  the  revision 
of  the  bituminous  mine  laws  and  they  are  considering  care- 
fully a  set  of  rules  to  govern  the  installation  and  operation 
of  electricity  in  bituminous  mines. 

It  is  unofficially  reported  that  the  rules  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  New  South  Wales  are  being  used  as  a  foundation 
around  which  to  formulate  rules  to  apply  to  Pennsylvania 
conditions. 

The  commission  is  composed  of  inspectors,  coal  oper- 
ators and  one  representative  of  the  miners '  organization. 
They  have  consulted  frequently  with  electrical  engineers 
from  the  mines  and  from  the  prominent  manufacturers  of 
electrical  apparatus  for  mine  work  and  consulting  electrical 
engineers,  and  if  the  advice  of  these  men  be  followed,  the 
rules  cannot  but  be  beneficial  in  arriving  at  the  desired  ends. 

In  West  Virginia  apparently  no  definite  rules  have  been 
established  to  govern  the  use  of  electricity,  but  the  operators 
appreciate  the  desirability  of  establishing  standard  methods 
and  practices  in  new  installations. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Keller,  chief  electrician  of  the  New  River 
Collieries  Company,  in  his  paper  before  the  West  Virginia 
Mining  Association  at  Charleston,  W.  Va.,  October  7th, 
dealt  with  this  subject  in  an  able  and  skillful  manner.  Mr. 
Keller  pointed  out  that  the  inspection  department  should 


THE  INSTALLATION  OF  ELECTRICITY  IN  MINES.  199 

have  been  skilled  in  electrical  matters  in  order  to  render  de- 
cisions which  would  be  fair  and  consistent.  He  also  brought 
out  the  fact  that  the  next  step  would  be  the  establish- 
ment of  rules  and  standards  to  be  applied  to  all  mines  of  the 
state.  To  use  Mr.  Keller 's  words : 

"Standardizing  of  methods  and  materials  and  laws 
governing  same  has  the  effect,  (1)  of  reducing  to  a  minimum 
the  danger  to  life  and  limb,  (2)  of  educating  the  employe 
to  a  more  systematic  method  of  performing  all  kinds  of 
work,  and  obtaining  from  him  the  highest  efficiency,  (3)  of 
enabling  the  owner  to  operate  his  plant  with  a  minimum 
investment  in  spare  parts,  (4)  permitting  the  operator  to 
contract  for  material  in  quantities  at  an  attractive  price. 

If  the  mining  department  employed  skilled  and  ex- 
perienced electrical  men,  competent  to  judge  in  matters  of 
this  kind,  it  would  even  then  be  difficult  to  render  just  de- 
cisions without  some  general  rules  which  were  recognized 
as  standard. 

If  this  is  true,  how  then  under  the  present  conditions 
can  the  mining  department  expect,  with  justice,  to  govern 
the  use  of  this  most  important  factor  in  the  greatest  industry 
in  our  state? 

If  I  were  to  offer  a  few  general  rules  governing  the  in- 
stallation of  electricity,  I  would  offer  as  a  safe  voltage  any- 
thing up  to  600  volts  direct  current. 

In  making  specifications  it  is  not  within  the  province 
of  the  electrician  alone  to  decide  which  mines  should  or 
should  not  have  electric  installations,  but  mines  should  be 
classified  as  follows: 

(1)  Gaseous  mines  in  which  the  volume  of  inflam- 
mable gas  generated  is  such  that  no  electrical  equipment 
except  signal  and  telephone  lines  carrying  not  over  20  volts 
may  be  installed. 

(2)  Gaseous  mines  where  the  volume  of  inflammable 
gas  generated  is  so  small  that  it  may  be  good  practice  to 
install  safety  lamps  and  safety  powders,  but  will  not  pre- 
clude the  installation  of  electric  haulage,  electric  pumps  on 
the  entries,  and  mining  machines  and  gathering  locomotives 
in  rooms  when  the  power  is  transmitted  from  the  haulage 


200  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

entry  to  the  machine  or  gathering  locomotive  over  a  well  in- 
sulated single  or  twin  conductor  cable,  the  exposed  wiring 
and  main  haulages  being  principally  in  the  intake  airway. 

(3)  Non-gaseous  mines  where  electric  machinery  op- 
erated with  direct  current,  600  volts  or  less,  may  be  in- 
stalled. 

Having  decided  the  question  of  installing  power,  a  few 
rules  as  follows  would  put  the  equipment  in  safe  condition. 
I  say  a  safe  condition,  that  applies  to  the  general  run  of 
men.  I  have  seen  a  few  fools  who  touched  wires  charged 
with  various  voltages  just  to  see  what  they  would  do. 

Tracks  should  be  bonded  in  an  approved  manner  and 
regularly  inspected  to  see  if  bonds  are  in  place.  Should 
be  cross  bonded  every  two  hundred  feet.  Should  be  cross 
bonded  around  switches.  Where  water,  air  or  steam  pipes 
parallel  track  they  should  be  bonded  to  track,  and  pipe 
should  be  bonded  around  flanged  joints.  This  not  only 
helps  the  return  circuit,  but  prevents  electrolysis.  If  it  is 
necessary  to  use  a  return  wire  in  addition  to  rail,  the  wire 
should  be  connected  to  the  cross  bonds  by  an  approved  con- 
nector. 

Wires.  No  permanent  wire,  either  feed  or  trolley, 
transmitting  600  volts  or  less  should  be  insulated,  as  the 
mine  air  soon  affects  the  insulation  so  it  does  not  insulate. 
Men  are  liable  to  be  deceived,  believing  they  are  handling 
an  insulated  wire.  It  is  better  to  teach  men  to  keep  hands 
off  all  wires. 

Trolley  wires  should  be  erected  at  a  uniform  height 
from  the  rail  and  a  uniform  distance,  about  six  inches,  out- 
side the  outer  edge  of  the  rail.  As  a  guide  to  men  traveling 
on  the  main  road,  lights  should  be  placed  and  maintained 
every  200  feet  to  show  which  side  of  the  entry  supports  the 
trolley  wire. 

Where  trolley  wires  cross  the  main  heading  they  should 
be  protected  by  an  inverted  wooden  trough  and  lights  put 
at  both  ends  of  the  trough. 

Switches  should  be  of  an  approved  type  in  boxes. 

Each  motor  and  each  locomotive  should  have  an  en- 
closed copper  wire  fuse  on  the  main  circuit. 


THE  INSTALLATION  OF  ELECTRICITY  IN  MINES.  201 

Pump  motors,  fan  motors,  car  haul  motors,  rotary  con- 
verters or  any  other  form  of  stationary  motors  should  have 
the  frame  grounded  in  an  approved  manner. 

Controller  frames  on  electric  locomotives  should  be 
grounded  to  locomotive  frame. 

Lightning  arresters  should  be  placed  at  the  entrance  of 
the  mine. 

All  high  tension  insulated  cables  should  be  provided 
with  static  arresters  or  have  steel  or  lead  covered  cables 
grounded. 

Where  mining  machines  or  drills  are  used  in  rooms  the 
frame  of  motors  should  be  grounded  to  frame  of  machine 
and  machine  connected  to  return  circuit. 

Where  it  is  necessary  to  install  wires  in  rooms,  have 
an  approved  automatic  cut-out  or  switch,  and  have  in- 
stalled in  the  rooms  in  view  of  miner  two  lamps  in  multiple. 

All  roads  over  which  locomotives  operate  should  be 
kept  clean  down  to  top  of  ties  and  drained. 

Where  mines  are  ventilated  by  electric  fans  an  alarm 
should  be  so  arranged  in  the  power  house  that  when  fan 
stops  the  power  house  engineer  will  get  a  signal.  If  the 
mine  is  gaseous  he  should  have  instructions  to  cut  power  off 
the  mine  at  once  and  immediately  start  an  investigation  as 
to  cause  of  fan  stopping  and,  if  it  cannot  be  immediately 
started,  notify  the  mine  foreman  so  that  the  men  may  be 
gotten  out  as  soon  as  possible.  Too  many  automatic  de- 
vices create  a  degree  of  carelessness  that  must  be  avoided. 

As  much  as  possible  fan  circuits  should  be  separate 
from  all  other  circuits  inside  or  outside  the  mines.  Start- 
ing devices  should  be  arranged  to  either  automatically  start 
the  fan  in  the  fan  house  or  have  the  power  house  engineer 
start  it  in  the  power  house. 

The  remedy  lies  not  in  the  prevention  of  the  installation 
of  electrical  appliances — for  electricity  is  an  important 
agent  in  the  coal  industry — but  in  regulating  the  installa- 
tion of  same.  Eegulations  and  standards  should  be  adopted, 
but  only  after  thorough  investigation  by  men  of  training 
and  experience, ' ? 


202  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

The  three  foreign  mining  experts,  Messrs.  Watteyne, 
Meissner  and  Desborough,  who  were  requested  to  investi- 
gate conditions  in  our  mines,  were  present  at  the  meetings 
when  Mr.  Keller  delivered  his  paper.  Their  report  is  now 
published  in  the  form  of  Bulletin  No.  369  by  the  U.  S.  Geo- 
logical Survey,  from  which  the  following  is  quoted: 

"Electricity  in  mining  operations  offers  so  many  ad- 
vantages, and  has  been  so  generally  adopted,  that  no  reason- 
onable  objection  can  be  made  to  its  use  under  proper  re- 
strictions. The  electrical  equipment,  however,  should  be 
installed,  maintained,  and  operated  with  great  care,  'and  so 
safeguarded  as  to  minimize  danger  from  fire  or  shock.  The 
fact  that  the  effectiveness  of  some  insulating  materials  is 
soon  destroyed  in  most  mines  should  not  be  lost  sight  of. ' ' 

They  recommend  650  volts  direct  current  and  500  vnlts 
alternating  current  as  limitation  of  voltage  for  underground 
distribution  of  electric  power. 

This  is  in  line  with  the  New  South  Wales  rules  and 
seems  to  meet  with  favor  both  in  the  United  States  and 
Mexico. 

Similar  discussion  and  action  seems  to  be  going  on  in 
Mexico  and  it  is  probable  that  rules  will  shortly  be  estab- 
lished there  by  the  Government  to  guide  the  operators  and 
?nspectors  in  the  use  of  electricity  in  all  classes  of  mining 
work. 

A  careful  study  of  the  New  South  Wales  rules  shows 
that  a  great  many  regulations  deal  with  probabilities  of  de- 
fects in  the  insulation  of  feeder  wires.  The  experience  of 
mining  men  in  the  United  States  seems  to  be  general  in  find- 
ing a  greater  degree  of  safety  in  using  bare  feeders  which 
are  known  to  all  to  be  alive  and  to  be  let  alone  by  other  than 
those  men  whose  duty  it  is  to  see  to  them. 

In  the  use  of  insulated  wires  in  the  average  mines  they 
are  safe  to  touch  and  handle  until  such  time,  and  short  it  is 
too,  when  the  insulation  becomes  damaged  and  then  like 
"the  gun  that  was  not  loaded "  they  become  dangerous  with 
careless  handling. 

It  is  unquestionably  better  practice  to  use  bare  feeders 
up  to  300  volts  $nd,  until  some  insulation  is  developed  com-, 


THE  INSTALLATION  OF  ELEC/RICITY  IN  MINES.  203 

mercially  that  will  withstand  mine  water  better  than  the 
present  rubber-covered  wires,  500  to  600  volt  feeders  should 
preferably  be  installed  bare  and  so  located  as  to  guarantee 
the  greatest  amount  of  safety. 

In  general,  it  is  recognized  that  electricity  as  a  motive 
power  has  come  to  stay  in  the  mines  of  the  United  States 
and  it  is  desirable  that  more  uniform  practices  be  obtained 
and  a  greater  degree  of  skill  be  employed  in  its  use  and  in 
deciding  questions  of  moment  pertaining  thereto. 

Coincident  with  the  adoption  of  uniform  standards  in 
installation  and  operation,  steps  should  be  taken  to  provide 
the  state  mining  departments  with  men  especially  skilled  in 
the  use  of  electricity  in  the  mines. 

The  action  of  the  Technologic  branch  of  the  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey  in  endeavoring  to  obtain  the  most  skilled 
man  possible  to  assist  in  their  investigations,  is  one  which 
could  with  profit  be  followed  by  the  State  Mining  Depart- 
ments. The  Federal  Government  cannot  render  too  much 
aid  in  the  researches  they  are  making.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  states  should  be  equipped  with  the  best  talent  possible 
to  interpret  these  results  and  apply  them  to  every  day  de- 
cisions in  the  field  where  they  are  endeavoring  to  safeguard 
life  and  property. 


A  Brief  Statement  of  the  Rising  Importance  of 
the  Rare  Element. 


BY  DR.  HERMAN  FLECK,  PROFESSOR  OF  CHEMISTRY,  COLORADO 
SCHOOL   OF   MINES,    GOLDEN,    COLO. 

A  glance  at  the  list  of  elements  quickly  reveals  the  fact 
that  in  the  last  two  decades  the  term  "rare  metal"  has  gone 
to  the  scrap  heap  along  with  "catalytic  action"  and  some 
other  terms  familiarly  purred  twenty  years  ago.  Nor  does 
the  reason  lie  in  the  fact  that  twenty  years  ago  the  great 
thinking  chemists  abroad  were  deploring  the  rage  of  or- 
ganic chemistry  endowed  with  its  beautiful  exactness  of 
analogy.  What  exponents  of  inorganic  work  there  were, 
contentedly  chose  the  familiar  paths  and  carefully  avoided 
the  stubborn  rare  element.  At  that  time  some  of  us  recall 
the  childish  wonder  excited  by  the  properties  of  aluminum, 
just  emerging  from  under  cover  of  the  Castner  process,  soon, 
however,  to  be  placed  together  with  every-day  matter  by 
the  rapid  use  made  of  this  metal  and  the  birth  of  the  mod- 
ern electric  furnace,  which  produced  it  cheaply  and  in  large 
quantities.  Aluminum  was  a  rare  metal  in  those  days. 
Boron,  silicon,  titanium  and  chromium  metals  were  very 
rarely  seen  except  in  museums,  and  tungsten,  molybdenum, 
vanadium  and  uranium  were  simply  names  which  glorified 
their  discoverers. 

A  remarkable  change  has  taken  place  since  then;  a  ton 
of  tungsten  metal  or  vanadium  metal  is  bought  and  sold 
with  the  stolidity  which  marks  an  ordinary  trade  and  no 
one  is  astonished  except  the  one  who  at  an  earlier  period 
was  taught  to  hallow  these  names. 

Since  then  the  world  has  become  "light  mad";  the 
"speed  mania"  demands  tougher  and  more  resisting  steel 
and  still  tougher  and  more  resisting  tools  with  which  to 
work  it;  a  keen  grasp  of  the  economical  plan  of  building 
upwards  instead  of  sidewise  demands  a  structural  iron  of 
hitherto  unheard  of  qualities  and  the  electric  furnace  and 
thermit  process  have  made  such  things  possible.  Thus  van- 


THE   RISING  IMPORTANCE  OP  THE   RARE   ELEMENT.      205 

ishes  the  fear  of  the  purists  of  the  past.  In  various  ways 
inorganic  chemistry  has  again  reached  its  high  pedestal  and 
not  least  among  the  causes  for  this  is  the  utilization  of  the 
rare  metals  which  are  now  found  in  astonishing  quantities. 
Among  the  first  in  the  rank  of  deserters  was  the  element 
zirconium.  Its  use  in  the  modified  Drummond  light  is  now 
a  matter  of  historical  interest. 

The  importance  to  the  coal  gas  industry  of  the  discov 
eries  of  Auer  von  Welsbach  may  be  summed  up  in  th« 
statement  that  it  assured  a  new  lease  of  life  for  this  product 
as  illuminant.  The  rapid  progress  of  electric  incandescent 
lighting  had  already  begun  to  make  inroads  on  this  indus- 
try. In  principle  there  was  nothing  new,  for  it  was  well 
known  that  certain  substances  like  lime,  oxide  of  zirconium 
and  platinum  glowed  with  brilliancy  when  a  hot  flame  im- 
pinged on  them.  Welsbach  ?s  real  service  was  the  concep- 
tion of  the  mantle  glower,  which  now  consumes  immense 
quantities  of  monazite  sands,  which  replaced  the  less  ex- 
tensive thoria  earths  of  Norway  first  used.  Nitrate  of  tho- 
rium is  the  base  of  this  product.  In  a  few  years  the  price 
of  this  article  fell  from  $200.00  per  pound  to  about  $4.00  per 
pound. 

In  1906  the  monazite  output  of  the  United  States  from 
the  Carolinas  was  846,175  pounds  sand,  valued  at  $152,312, 
corresponding  to  a  price  of  18  cents  per  pound.  In  1907 
the  output  was  smaller  and  brought  about  six  to  eight  cents 
less  per  pound.  The  thoria  contents  vary  from  three  to 
nine  per  cent.  The  area  of  production  is  3,500  square  miles 
and  includes  eleven  counties  in  North  Carolina  and  seven 
in  South  Carolina.  In  addition  to  this  there  is  a  large  Bra- 
zilian output,  controlled  by  German  capitalists. 

The  by-products  from  the  thoria  extraction  have  as  yet 
not  found  much  commercial  application,  but  at  present  lib- 
eral quantities  of  these  are  offered  research  workers  whose 
results  will  no  doubt  soon  dispose  of  them  with  profit. 

What  Welsbach  did  for  gas,  Dr.  Walther  Nernst  has 
done  for  electricity.  Nernst 's  first  patents  appeared  in 
1898,  but  the  Nernst  lamp  as  it  is  now  manufactured  by  the 
thousands,  is  the  result  of  several  years'  work  after  this 


206  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

date.  The  principal  of  the  lamp  depends  on  the  conduc- 
tivity of  a  filament  of  rare  earth  oxides  at  a  temperature  of 
600  degrees  Centigrade.  To  fit  the  filament  for  the  passage 
of  the  current  then,  a  device  is  necessary  to  bring  it  to  the 
proper  temperature.  This  is  done  by  means  of  an  attached 
platinum  wire  whose  resistance  to  the  current  heats  the  fila- 
ment, which  then  glows.  Thereupon  the  initial  conductor 
is  automatically  shut  off. 

To  prepare  this  filament  the  earlier  patents  state, 
eighty  parts  zirconium  oxide,  ten  parts  erbium  and  ten  parts 
yttrium  oxide  are  prepared  with  clear  starch  into  a  plaster, 
which  is  then  pressed  into  filaments  and  baked.  To  supply 
the  materials  for  these  filaments,  zircon  and  gadolinite  are 
used.  Zircon  is  obtained  from  the  deposits  in  Henderson 
county,  North  Carolina,  and  the  gadolinite  is  obtained  from 
the  deposits  occurring  in  a  pegmatite  dyke  at  Barringer 
Hill,  Llano  county,  Texas.  The  property  now  belongs  to 
the  Nernst  Lamp  Company  of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania. 

A  new  kind  of  steel  came  into  use  in  1900.  This  is 
known  as  high  speed  steel,  which  has  the  following  ad- 
vantage over  ordinary  carbon  steel.  The  ordinary  lathe 
tool  made  from  the  latter,  when  working  on  mild  steel, 
wrought  iron  or  soft  cast  iron,  will  not  endure  a  speed  of 
over  fifteen  feet  per  minute  adjusted  to  standard  cut.  But 
an  addition  of  1  to  3.5  per  cent  of  chromium  and  5  to  17  per 
cent  of  tungsten  or  of  tungsten  alone  will  permit  a  speed  as 
high  at.  ninety  feet  per  minute,  at  which  point  its  tempera- 
ture will  verge  on  the  dull  red  heat.  The  economical  ad- 
vantage of  such  a  product,  which  depends  on  the  metal 
tungsten  for  these  qualities,  are  at  once  appreciated. 
Tungsten  finds  some  minor  uses  in  the  arts.  The  fine  colors 
of  the  compounds  of  tungsten,  so-called  tungsten  bronzes 
and  the  variegated  shades  of  the  different  states  of  oxida- 
tion of  tungsten  are  made  use  of  in  form  of  pigment  and 
glaze  or  glass  coloring  material  respectively.  By  far  the 
greater  demand  for  the  metal  is  that  of  the  tool  steel  manu- 
facture For  this  purpose  the  raw  material,  chiefly  wol- 
framite, produced  in  the  United  States  in  1907  amounted 
to.  1,640  tons,  valued  at  $890,048.00.  Boulder  county,  Colo- 


THE   RISING  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE   RARE   ELEMENT.      207 

rado,  produced  most  of  this,  while  smaller  amounts  were 
produced  in  California,  Arizona,  Montana,  Nevada  and 
Washington.  This  raw  material  represents  in  round  num- 
bers about  650  tons  of  tungsten  metal. 

The  metal  appears  in  two  forms  on  the  market,  namely, 
tungsten  powder  and  ferro -tungsten.  The  former  is  made 
by  a  complicated  chemical  process,  as  a  steel  grey  powder, 
and  is  preferred  in  Germany  and  America.  English  manu- 
facturers prefer  the  ferro  alloy,  which  ranges  in  tungsten 
contents  from  25  per  cent  to  75  per  cent.  This  is  made  usu- 
ally by  direct  reduction  in  the  electric  furnace.  Aside  from 
cost  and  greater  tendency  to  oxidation  of  the  powdered 
form,  there  appears  to  be  little  choice. 

Molybdenum  is  a  fellow  to  tungsten.  It  is  used  for 
practically  the  same  purposes,  but  in  tool  steel  composition 
it  replaces  tungsten  metal  about  one  to  two. 

Molybdenum  is  marketed  in  the  form  of  the  two  min- 
erals, molybdenite,  the  sulphide  ore,  and  the  wulfenite,  or 
lead  molybdate.  The  first  is  the  more  important  and  strong- 
ly resembles  graphite  in  appearance.  It  occurs  disseminated 
through  the  crystalline  rocks,  principally  granite,  gneiss  and 
seyenite.  The  New  South  Wales  deposits  have  been  promi- 
nent in  their  production.  Wherever  the  mineral  is  dissemi- 
nated in  form  of  films  in  the  rock  seams,  and  this  appears 
to  be  by  far  the  greater  kind,  the  concentration  of  it  has  so 
far  proved  unsatisfactory.  The  metallurgy  consists  of  the 
preparation  of  concentrates  by  hand  sorting,  air  blast,  oil 
or  electrostatic  methods.  The  metal  and  its  ferro  alloy  are 
made  by  reduction  of  the  oxide  which  results  on  roasting. 

Sources  of  molybdenite  in  the  United  States  are  the 
deposits  at  Crown  Point,  Chelan  county  Washington,  and 
at  Cooper,  Washington  county,  Maine. 

And  finally,  heralded  as  the  specific  for  the  ills  of  iron, 
comes  vanadium. 

This  element  occurs  quite  widely  distributed.  In  fact, 
it  has  been  discovered  in  traces  in  many  of  our  metamorphic 
rocks.  Many  clays  and  iron  ores  contain  it  in  appreciable 
quantities  and  the  ashes  of  coal  carry  it  so  frequently  that 
some  speculation  has  arisen  over  the  part  vanadiferous  coals 


208  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

play  in  the  origin  of  known  vanadium  deposits.  The  supe- 
rior qualities  belonging  to  Swedish  steel  are  said  to  be  due 
to  a  small  quantity,  .05  per  cent,  of  vanadium.  In  concen- 
trated form,  however,  vanadium  occurs  in  few  localities,  the 
most  important  of  which  is  that  discovered  in  1906  at  Min- 
asragra.  Peru.  In  the  cretaceous  sedimentaries  there  occur 
a  series  of  eruptive  dykes  which  at  the  point  of  greatest  fre- 
quency show  outcrop  so  far  traced  for  about  400  feet.  The 
ore  body  is  about  eight  feet  thick  and  contains  vanadium 
to  the  extent  of  about  sixteen  per  cent  in  form  of  sulphide, 
named  patronite.  The  supply  is  reported  as  inexhaustible 
and  yet  vanadium  alloys  cost  $5.00  per  pound  of  vanadium 
present  There  is  good  opportunity  at  this  price  for  com- 
petition from  domestic  ores,  notably  the  large  deposits  of 
vanadiam  mica  at  Placerville,  San  Miguel  county,  and  the 
large  bodies  of  uranium-vanadium  ore  carnotite  of  San  Mi- 
guel and  Montrose  counties,  Colorado,  and  Grand  county 
adjoining  in  Utah.  At  Placerville  the  ore  occurs  as  rosco- 
elite,  vanadium  mica,  in  the  La  Plata  sandstones  above  the 
lime  stone.  The  ore  is  readily  sorted  to  contain  about  four 
or  five  per  cent  vanadium  oxide.  So  far  it  appears  that 
the  treatment  of  this  ore  and  carnotite  has  not  met  with 
success.  France  imports  considerable  vanadium  in  form  of 
ramirite  an  arseno-phospho-vanadate  of  lead,  from  Char- 
cas,  state  of  San  Luis,  Potosi,  Mexico. 

The  metal  is  silvery  white,  has  a  specific  gravity  of 
about  5.6  and  its  melting  point  is  higher  than  that  of  plati- 
num. Its  use  in  the  Siemen  's  glow  lamps  has  been  recorded. 
By  far  the  greater  amount  of  vanadium  is  made  in  form  of 
ferro- vanadium,  an  alloy  of  approximately  two  parts  of  iron 
and  one  part  of  vanadium.  This  alloy  melts  readily  and  is 
easily  incorporated  into  fluid  steel,  on  which  first  and  fore- 
most it  has  a  cleansing  action.  A  strong  affinity  for  oxygen 
and  nitrogen,  the  occlusion  of  which  is  now  realized  to  ex- 
ert a  powerful  influence  on  the  physical  properties,  cleanses 
the  iron  of  these  poisons  and  sweeps  them  with  part  of  the 
vanadium  into  the  slag.  The  remainder,  a  quantity  usually 
not  greater  than  two-tenths  of  one  per  cent,  is  assimilated 


THE   RISING  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE   RARE   ELEMENT.      209 

and  the  combined  effects  show  a  remarkable  rise  in  the  elas- 
tic limit,  resistance  to  wear  under  repeated  strain  and  shock, 
known  as  fatigue.  Illustrations  of  these  superior  qualities 
over  other  steels  are  the  following: 

A  sample  of  vanadium  steel  was  tested  on  a  vibratory 
stress  machine.  Several  samples  of  carbon  steel  all  broke  af- 
ter 20,000  revolutions.  The  vanadium  steel  endured  100,000,- 
000  and  remained  unbroken.  The  elastic  limit  of  vanadium 
steel  is  about  three  times  that  of  ordinary  structural  steel. 
The  limits  for  tempering  are  made  wider,  an  advantage 
readily  recognized.  Eesistance  to  shock  is  shown  in  the  fol- 
lowing tests: 

A  sample  of  carbon  steel  withstood  a  blow  of  11  ft. 
pounds.  A  sample  of  nickel  steel  withstood  a  blow  of  14 
ft.  pounds.  A  sample  of  vanadium  steel  withstood  a  blow 
of  17  ft.  pounds.  With  the  shock  made  less  violent  but 
repeated,  the  carbon  steel  withstood  25,  the  nickel  steel  35, 
and  the  vanadium  steel  69  blows.  Gradually  raising  the 
number  of  blows,  but  decreasing  their  intensity,  the  steel 
withstood  6,000,  the  nickel  steel  10,000,  the  vanadium  steel 
67,000.  Judicious  admixture  of  chromium  and  vanadium 
or  of  nickel  and  vanadium  show  decided  advantages  over 
the  metals  used  alone. 

Truly  this  element  may  well  be  called  the  king  among 
alloys. 

Uranium  has  been  given  more  attention  in  the  last  ten 
years  than  any  other  rare  metal,  and  this  is  principally  on 
account  of  its  relation  to  radium  and  not  its  com- 
mercial aspect.  Much  study  has  -been  made  of  uranium 
with  the  idea  of  increasing  its  usefulness  in  the  arts.  As  a 
ferro  alloy  its  use  has  not  met  with  encouragement  but 
there  is  a  good,  steady  demand  for  its  compounds,  the  oxide 
and  the  sodium  uranate  in  coloring  glass  and  porcelain.  To 
glass  it  imparts  a  fluorescent  green  tinge  which  indeed  is  a 
characteristic  property  of  many  uranium  salts.  Due  to  the 
formation  of  a  velvety  black  oxide  when  reduced,  its  use  in 
coloring  porcelain  black  has  been  long  known.  The  greater 
supply  still  comes  from  the  Bohemjaft  pitchblende  from  the 


210  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

residues  of  which  radium  was  produced  in  quantities  of  suf- 
ficient amount  to  make  its  study  possible.  Colorado  is  the 
chief  producer  of  uranium  in  the  United  States.  A  shipment 
of  pitchblende  valued  at  about  $25,000.00  was  made  not 
long  ago  from  Gilpin  County.  Compounds  of  uranium  and 
high  grade  ore. valued  at  $50,000.00  have  been  shipped  from 
the  Dolores  region  of  San  Miguel  and  Montrose  Counties. 
The  ore  there  is  the  canary-yellow  carnotite  of  which  there 
is  an  abundance  in  form  of  low  grade  material.  The  re- 
covery of  the  uranium  and  vanadium  values  from  these  de- 
posits involves  some  fine  problems. 

Another  rare  element  of  rising  importance  to  the  iron 
industry  is  titanium  which  in  the  form  of  ferro  alloys  is 
manufactured  by  the  Goldschmidt  process.  A  small  amount, 
.5%  to  2%,  introduced  into  both  coke  and  charcoal  iron 
materially  raises  the  tensile  strength.  Titanium  in  form  of 
oxide  has  been  used  quite  extensively  in  the  manufacture  of 
artificial  teeth  into  the  composition  of  which  it  is  intro- 
duced. 

And  still  the  introduction  of  the  rare  elements  to  prac- 
tical use  continues.  Selenium  recovered  from  the  copper 
slimes  of  the  electrolytic  refineries  sells  at  $2.00  per  pound, 
and  the  demand  is  good.  One  plant  disposes  of  about  two 
tons  per  month.  No  doubt  the  peculiar  property  possessed 
by  this  non-metallic  element,  that  of  increased  electric  con- 
ductivity under  the  influence  of  light,  is  the  basis  of  its  use. 

Tantalite  and  columbite  are  now  eagerly  sought  for 
their  tantalum  contents  and  this  is  the  result  of  the  in- 
creased efficiency  of  the  tantalum  filament  lamp,  the  in- 
vention of  Dr.  Werner  von  Bolton.  The  discovery  and  des- 
cription of  pure  metallic  tantalum  are  only  a  small  part  of 
the  seven  years  of  research  which  gave  us  the  tantalum 
lamp. 

The  commercial  values  of  other  rare  elements  will  force 
them  into  use  from  their  obscurity  and  new  properties  of 
those  now  in  use  will  increase  their  demand  and  output. 
The  rare  metal  has  a  firm  hold  upon  the  attention  of  the 
miners  ancl  metallurgists  and  it  enters  the  curriculum  of 


THE   RISING   IMPORTANCE   OP  THE   RARE   ELEMENT.      211 

technical  school  with  a  newer  meaning  not  to  be  despised 
when  placed  beside  the  commoner  ores  and  metals. 

The  author  desires  to  express  his  thanks  to  the  Vana- 
dium Alloys  Company  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  for  the  data  on 
physical  properties  of  vanadium  steel. 


Tariff  on  Zinc  Ore*. 


BY    S.    DUFFIELD   MITCHELL,    CARTHAGE,    MO. 

At  the  annual  session  of  this  Congress  held  in  Novem- 
ber, 1907,  at  Joplin,  Missouri,  I  had  the  honor  to  deliver  an 
address  upon  this  same  subject.  The  same  facts  and  argu- 
ments which  were  then  announced  can,  in  the  light  of  a 
year's  experience,  be  urged  today  with  double  force  and 
effect  in  favor  of  an  adequate  specific  duty  on  all  zinc  ores. 
While  we  have  passed  through  a  year's  severe  commercial 
depression  and  the  zinc  mining  industry  in  Joplin  has  suf- 
fered cruel  stagnation,  we  are  confronted  with  the  unde- 
niable fact  that  but  for  imports  of  Mexican  ore  during  the 
years  of  1907  and  1908  a  much  larger  percentage  of  our 
mines  and  mills  would  have  been  in  continuous  operation 
for  the  past  year  and  the  average  ore  prices  would  have 
been  higher. ' 

So  convinced  have  become  the  operators  of  mines  and 
business  men  of  the  Joplin  district  that  certain  smelters 
were  seeking  undue  advantage  over  the  domestic  zinc  miner 
in  depressing  ore  prices  by  importing  Mexican  zinc  ore,  that 
they  have  organized  the  Zinc  Ore  Tariff  Club,  whose  propa- 
ganda is  to  teach  tariff  on  zinc  ore  by  facts  and  figures.  It 
is  doing  a  splendid  work  and  is  reaching  out  in  influence  to 
the  farthermost  corners  of  the  country. 

The  tariff  case  of  the  United  States  vs.  Brewster,  which 
one  year  ago  was  on  appeal  from  the  Board  of  General  Ap- 
praisers before  the  Circuit  Court  of  the  U.  S.  at  Laredo, 
Texas,  was  decided  on  April  21st,  1908.  The  government 
lost  in  every  contention;  the  Board  of  General  Appraisers 
was  fully  sustained.  Briefly  stated,  the  Court  held  that 
calamine  (which  under  paragraph  514  of  the  Dingley  Bill  is 
admitted  free)  includes  both  the  silicates  and  both  the  car- 
bonates of  zinc;  that  calamine,  therefore,  is  not  only  the 
hydrosilicate  of  zinc,  as  contended  for  by  the  government; 
that  sulphide  zinc  ores  are  not  dutiable  under  paragraph 
183  of  the  said  act,  as  "metallic  mineral  substances  in  a 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  213 

crude  state/'  because  the  free  native  metal  is  not  to  be 
found  in  the  ore;  and  last  that  paragraph  614,  which  places 
on  the  free  list  "minerals,  crude,  or  not  advanced  in  value 
or  condition  by  refining  or  grinding,  or  by  other  process  of 
manufacture, ' '  includes  all  zinc  ores,  because  the  quarrying 
of  Mexican  ores,  the  breaking  apart  by  hammer  the  valu- 
able ore  and  the  waste  rock  and  the  sorting  of  the  same  by 
hand  is  not  a  process  of  manufacture,  but  is  done  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  reducing  freight  rates. 

It  is  difficult  to  comprehend  the  mental  processes  used 
in  reaching  this  decision ;  but  as  a  final  test  of  the  question, 
the  government  has  appealed  the  case  to  the  U.  S.  Circuit 
Court  of  Appeals  and  the  appeal  is  now  pending  at  New 
Orleans,  awaiting  argument  at  an  early  date. 

However,  if  the  government  should  win  in  the  Circuit 
Court  of  Appeals,  the  victory  would  be  fruitless,  either  as 
affording  revenue  to  the  government  or  protection  to  the 
zinc  mine  operators.  This  is  so,  because  20%  ad  valorem 
duty  on  ore,  valued  at  10  or  15  dollars  per  ton  is  a  delusion, 
viewed  from  either  standpoint. 

Last  year  I  advocated  a  duty  of  1  cent  per  pound  upon 
the  metallic  contents  of  all  zinc  ores.  Today  I  am  thor- 
oughly convinced  that  1%  cents  duty  per  pound  upon  such 
contents  is  absolutely  necessary  to  lift  the  zinc  mining  busi- 
ness from  the  l  i  slough  of  despond ' '  and  to  establish  it  upon 
a  plane"  of  fixed  and  stable  prices. 

Last  June  I  addressed  the  Engineers '  Society  of  Joplin 
upon  the  general  subject  of  Mexican  ore  imports  and  the 
zinc  ore  tariff.  My  "false  conclusions"  and  "mis-state- 
ments" (  to  use  his  definition)  were  so  marked  as  to  require 
a  public  answer  before  the  same  society  by  Mr.  A.  B.  Cock- 
erill,  of  Nevada,  Missouri.  After  his  persuasive  talk,  it  ap- 
peared that  this  country  does  not  and  cannot  produce 
enough  zinc  ore  to  supply  the  smelters  for  manufacturing 
spelter;  that  the  smelters  were  required  to  go  to  Mexico  to 
secure  the  ore  deficiency  and  until  the  domestic  ore  pro- 
ducers can  materially  increase  their  production,  Mexican 
ore  must  be  imported.  Mr.  Cockerill,  however,  admitted 
that  Mexican  ore  can  be  purchased,  relatively  speaking,  so 


214  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

much  more  cheaply  than  Joplin  ore,  that  there  is  much  more 
profit  in  smelting  it,  than  our  ore.  His  kindly  advice  was 
to  close  down  all  our  mines  until  spelter  reached  a  sufficient 
price  to  enable  the  smelter  to  pay  us  $40.00  base  price.  In 
view  of  the  fact  that  he  proposed  to  continue  the  importa- 
tion of  his  Mexican  ores  the  "gall  and  worm-wood"  of  his 
proposition  were  at  once  so  apparent  to  the  local  ore  pro- 
ducers, that  that  night  marked  the  birth  of  the  agitation  for 
a  tariff  on  zinc  ores.  Mr.  Cockerill  's  admissions,  wrung  from 
him  most  unwillingly,  were  the  most  potent  arguments  that 
any  one  had  advanced,  that  an  adequate  specific  duty  on 
zinc  ores  is  absolutely  necessary  if  that  great  industry  is  to 
survive  and  prosper. 

The  claim  of  the  smelters  that  for  the  first  half  of  the 
year,  1908,  the  depressed  ore  prices  were  due  entirely  to  the 
large  stock  of  surplus  spelter  carried  over  from  the  year 
1907  may  well  be  true,  but  the  surprising  fact  is,  that  the 
tonnage  of  that  surplus  almost  exactly  equaled  the  tonnage 
of  spelter  derived  from  all  ore  imported  during  the  year 
1907.  The  difference  was  less  than  249  tons.  In  other 
words,  foreign  ore  produced  26,115  tons  of  spelter  and  the 
surplus  stock  was  26,364  tons,  according  to  the  U.  S.  Geolog- 
ical Survey.  The  Engineering  and  Mining  Journal  and  the 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey  both  agree  upon  the  main  fact  of 
this  proposition.  The  conclusion  is  therefore  irresistible, 
that  had  there  been  no  importations  of  foreign  ore,  either 
there  would  have  been  no  surplus  stock  of  spelter  to  bear 
domestic  ore  prices,  or  the  domestic  mines  would  have  been 
operated  to  produce  that  surplus.  Thirty  thousand  tons  of 
surplus  spelter  would  have  required  the  production  of  60,000 
tons  of  Joplin  ore.  This  would  have  kept  all  our  mines 
running  single  shift  for  twelve  weeks.  As  about  half  the 
mines  were  operating  all  last  winter  and  spring,  it  would 
have  kept  all  our  mines  running  all  that  time,  and  our 
miners  and  employes  well  employed.  With  the  conditions 
of  other  zinc  mining  districts  of  the  U.  S.,  other  than  Joplin, 
I  am  not  familiar. 

This  district  is  essentially  a  "poor  man's  camp."     The 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  215 

poor  man  began  in  1873  to  develope  the  zinc  mining  indus- 
try and  with  what  marvelous  results ! 

From  1873  to  1894  the  district  produced  1,399,720  tons 
of  zinc  ore  valued  at  $26,520,727,  and  prior  to  1890  the  Jop- 
lin  district  produced  425,000  tons  of  lead,  whose  value  I 
have  been  unable  to  ascertain.  These  were  the  days  of  rich 
pocket  formations;  shallow  diggings;  crude  mining  meth- 
ods; and  low  ore  prices. 

From  1895  to  1899  the  district  produced  967,339  tons 
of  zinc  ore  and  139,695  tons  of  lead  ore  of  a  total  valuation 
of  $30,194,760. 

From  1900  to  November  8th,  1908,  the  district  produced 
2,490,828  tons  of  zinc  ore  of  the  value  of  $82,984,563  and 
304,682  tons  of  lead  ore  worth  $17,679,708.  In  other  words, 
according  to  records  of  actual  values  above  given,  this  re- 
markable district  in  35  years  has  dug  from  the  earth  lead 
ore  and  zinc  ore  values  of  over  $157,000,000,  and  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  the  ore  values  exceed  $175,000,000. 

It  is  a  surprising  statement  to  make,  but  it  is  neverthe- 
less true,  that  for  the  years  1906  and  1907  the  value  of  the 
ore  production  of  the  Joplin  district  exceeded  $15,000,000 
for  each  year  and  the  value  of  the  gold  production  for  1906 
of  California  was  only  $18,800,000. 

In  place  of  the  horse  "bolster"  and  the  hand  jig  of  the 
early  days,  and  of  the  diminutive  75  or  100  ton  mill  of  ten 
years  ago,  we  have  today  the  250  to  500  ton  mill,  equipped 
with  air  compressor  plants,  machine  drills,  high  speed 
hoists  and  all  the  elaborate  machinery  to  effect  the  closest 
saving  of  ore  values.  Then,  too,  a  minute  system  of  ac- 
counting is  kept  and  costs  are  properly  divided  and  kept 
down  to  the  lowest  figure.  This  modern  milling  and  busi- 
ness practice  is  now  necessary,  because  the  bulk  of  our 
mines  are  in  the  hard  "sheet  ground." 

When  the  rich  shallow  pockets  were  mined  the  life  of 
them  was  vexatiously  problematical.  The  owner  might  be 
"in  clover"  this  week,  next  week  nothing  but  blind  walls 
might  be  seen. 

With  the  sheet  ground  deposits,  the  proposition  is  dif- 
ferent, They  are  vastly  extended  bodies  of  lower  grade  ore. 


216  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

By  the  use  of  a  churn  drill,  the  operator  can  prospect  his 
land  and  he  usually  finds  the  ore  covering  a  large  area.  But 
he  must  be  contented  with  ore  which  will  mill  from  4  to  6 
per  cent,  of  concentrates. 

The  sheet  ground  deposits  have  been  largely  developed 
from  the  year  1904.  Their  development  was  stimulated  by 
the  high  prices  offered  by  the  smelters  the  latter  part  of 

1904,  the  whole  of  1905  and  the  good  prices  of  1906  and  the 
first  half  of  1907. 

Today  and  in  the  future  the  sheet  ground  deposits  must 
be  the  ' '  back-bone ' '  of  the  Joplin  zinc  ore  production.  It  is 
probable  that  these  deposits  are  practically  inexhaustible. 

Menace  of  Mexican  Ore. 

What  is  the  menace  of  Mexican  zinc  ore  importations? 
It  is  what  the  future  has  in  store  for  us,  compared  with 
what  the  past  has  shown.  Competent  judges  who  have  vis- 
ited the  field,  affirm  that  a  territory  600  miles  long  and  50 
or  more  miles  wide,  is  rich  in  all  zinc  ores.  A  prominent 
smelter  official  says  that  a  million  tons  of  sulphide  zinc  ores 
in  Chihuahua  alone  can  be  developed  and  soon  placed  upon 
the  market.  The  carbonate  deposits  are  practically  inex- 
haustible. All  that  is  needed  is  the  conquering  hand  of 
man,  to  develop  these  vast  mineral  resources  and  build 
lateral  railroads  to  make  them  immediately  available  to 
the  U.  S.  smelters.  American  capital  will  readily  furnish 
the  financial  sinews  of  war. 

What  has  been  the  manace  of  Mexican  zinc  ore?     In 

1905,  41,000  tons  were  shipped  to  the  U.  S.;  in  1906,  90,000 
tons;  in  1907,  108,000  tons;  and  in  1908  almost  50,000  tons, 
a  grand  total  of  almost  290,000  tons;  this  ore  averages 
about  40%  metallic  contents.     Translate  that  into  60%  Jop- 
lin ore.    We  have  192,000  tons.     The  average  Joplin  ore 
price  for  the  years  1905  to  1908,  inclusive,  has  been  about 
$42.00  base  for  60%  ore.     That  means  that  had  the  Joplin 
district  been  required  to  produce  that  ore,  it  would  have  re- 
quired 32  weeks  to  do  it;  that  the  ore  would  have  been 
worth  over  $8,000,000,  in  point  of  production  to  this  district; 
that  labor  would  have  received  about  $3,600,000  more  in 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  217 

wages;  and,  assuming  that  the  average  man  works  300  days 
per  year  at  a  daily  wage  of  $3,00,  it  proves  that  4,000  miners 
have  been  unemployed  for  one  year  and  that  9,000  to  12,000 
dependents  have  suffered  a  skimp  livelihood,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Mexican  "greaser." 

The  above  figures  of  Mexican  zinc  ore  imports  are  taken 
from  Mineral  Industry.  They  are  gleaned  from  reports 
given  by  the  smelters  and  in  some  instances  largely  exceed 
the  government  official  figures.  Can  it  be  that  large  quan- 
tities of  zinc  ore  are  invoiced  as  lead  ore;  are  so  imported 
and  classified;  and  are  paying  a  paltry  duty  under  para- 
graph 181  of  the  Dingley  Act  upon  the  insignificant  lead 
contents  only  ? 

The  Possible  Menace  of  the  World's  Production  of  Zinc  Ore. 

Last  year  I  took  occasion  to  call  attention  to  the  large 
zinc  ore  contents  in  the  tailing  piles  of  the  Broken  Hill  Dis- 
trict of  Australia  and  stated  that  it  was  estimated  that  the 
holdings  of  the  "  syndicate "  would  produce  900,000  tons  of 
zinc  ore.  Mineral  Industry  for  1907  at  page  917  states  that 
in  1906  that  district  exported  103,665  tons  of  concentrates 
and  in  1907  the  export  was  237,218  tons.  This  ore  went  to 
Europe;  but  with  low  water  charges  there  is  a  chance  that 
the  U.  S.  may  offer  a  profitable  market. 

Along  the  Cape  to  Cairo  railroad  in  Africa  are  deposits 
of  zinc  ore  which  rival  in  some  ways  those  of  Mexico.  A 
writer  in  a  recent  publication  described  the  hills  of  lead  and 
zinc,  which  "rise  right  up  out  of  the  plains  like  mounds, 
each  independent  of  the  other."  He  described  seven  in 
sight  of  Broken  Hill  Camp,  in  Australia.  In  one,  the  lead  in 
a  tunnel  is  58%  pure  and  the  zinc  over  8%.  Another  hill  is 
ninety  feet  high  and  about  300  feet  in  diameter,  and  it  con- 
tains ore  of  zinc  containing  35%  to  40%  metal.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  the  main  body  has  over  400,000  tons  of  zinc  ore, 
and  that  there  are  300,000  tons  more  above  the  water  level, 
which  occurs  sixteen  feet  below  the  surface. 

These  deposits  of  zinc  ore  are  not  likely  at  once  to  com- 
pete directly  with  our  domestic  mines;  but  the  time  may 
come  when  they  may  compete  with  Mexico  in  the  markets 


218  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

of  Europe,  and  if  Mexican  ore  be  not  shut  out  of  the  U.  S., 
by  a  substantial  tariff  duty,  the  whole  vast  Mexican  zinc  ore 
deposits  will  be  dumped  into  the  U.  S. 

It  is  quite  within  the  range  of  probability  that  the  Aus- 
tralian and  African  zinc  ores  may  seek  a  market  in  the 
United  States. 

This  theory  will  be  later  developed.  As  showing  the 
largely  distributed  areas  of  the  world's  supply  of  zinc  ores, 
I  quote  at  some  length  from  Mineral  Industry,  1907,  at  page 
916: 

"  During  the  last  few  years,  especially  during  1906  and 
1907,  conditions  have  been  developing  in  the  zinc  industry 
of  the  world,  which  are  of  supreme  importance.  This  re- 
lates particularly  to  the  enormous  increase  in  the  supply  of 
ore  offered  to  the  smelters.  New  South  Wales  and  Mexico, 
the  former  gradually  and  the  latter  suddenly,  have  devel- 
oped into  producers  of  the  zinc  ore  of  the  first  magnitude. 
The  exportation  of  zinc  ore  in  New  South  Wales  in  1907 
amounted  to  237,218  long  tons,  against  103,665  long  tons  in 
1906,  and  103,000  tons  in  1905,  but  going  behind  the  face  of 
the  returns,  it  appears  that  there  was  a  considerable  in- 
crease in  1906  because  of  the  better  grade  of  ore  produced, 
the  estimated  yield  of  spelter  from  the  ore  exported  having 
been  33,427  tons  in  1906,  against  30,637  tons  in  1905.  Amer- 
ican smelters  received  from  Mexico  108,800  short  tons  of  ore 
in  1907,  against  88,900  in  1906,  32,164  in  1905,  and  practi- 
cally none  in  1904.  Some  Mexican  ore  also  was  exported  to 
Europe.  Besides  these  large  new  supplies,  European  smelt- 
ers have  been  recently  obtaining  a  good  deal  of  ore  from 
other  new  countries,  such  as  Japan  (where  zinc  smelting 
works  are  now  being  erected),  China,  and  Turkey;  while  in 
1906,  a  considerable  supply  of  calamine  ore  of  high  grade 
was  for  the  first  time  received  from  Rhodesia,  where  there 
appears  to  be  large  deposits,  which  will  afford  a  steadily  in- 
creasing output. 

"This  plethora  of  raw  material  has  already  had  an  im- 
portant effect  upon  the  world 's  market  for  spelter.  For  one 
thing,  it  has  cut  off  all  hope  that  the  United  States  will  soon 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  219 

become  an  exporter  of  spelter.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  to  be 
feared  that,  more  frequently  than  usual,  the  price  of  spelter 
in  the  United  States  will  have  to  be  reduced  in  order  to  pre- 
vent importations,  in  spite  of  the  protective  tariff  of  1.5c 
per  pound.  During  the  last  three  or  four  years  the  prices 
for  spelter  at  London  and  New  York  have  been  showing  a 
decreasing  disparity.  This  is  easily  explained  by  the  posi- 
tion of  European  smelters,  who  in  the  abundance  of  their 
ore  supply  are  able  on  one  hand  to  offer  spelter  at  lower  and 
lower  prices,  and  on  the  other  hand  bid  lower  and  lower 
prices  to  the  miners  for  ore,  preserving'  a  large  margin  for 
smelting  all  the  time.  During  1906  the  smelters'  margin 
was  so  large  that  the  business  was  unusually  profitable. ' ' 

These  large  zinc  ore  deposits  are  undoubtedly  a  menace 
in  the  future  to  zinc  ore  miners  of  the  United  States.  Up 
to  the  present  time,  no  ore  has  been  shipped  to  the  United 
States  from  either  Australia  or  South  Africa.  The  Euro- 
pean smelters  to  the  present  time  have  been  well  supplied 
with  zinc  ore  from  their  usual  sources  of  supply.  With  im- 
mense production  in  these  new  fields  the  ore  will  be  mar- 
keted at  the  nearest  point  of  consumption.  I  am  indebted 
to  Mr.  F.  A.  Jordan  of  the  Continental  Zinc  Company  of 
Joplin,  Mo.,  who  makes  some  suggestions  very  worthy  of 
profound  thought.  Speaking  of  the  Broken  Hill  district  in 
Australia,  he  states  that  it  is  connected  by  rail  with  Port 
Pirie,  distant  about  240  miles  and  with  Adelaide  about  325 
miles  away.  The  freight  from  Broken  Hill  to  Port  Pirie 
on  blende  is  $2.19  per  long  ton;  and  from  Port  Pirie  to  Swan- 
sea, Wales,  it  is  $6.25,  or  a  total  of  $7.50  per  short  ton. 

Now,  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  different  distances  to 
points  of  smelting  the  ore,  with  the  thought  of  possible  im- 
portations of  these  ores  into  the  United  States. 

From  Port  Pirie  to  Swansea  by  way  of  the  Suez  Canal, 
the  distance  is  about  10,350  miles  and  to  New  York  City 
11,030  miles.  The  distance  directly  to  San  Francisco  is 
6,400.  Upon  completion  of  the  Panama  Canal,  the  distance 
to  the  very  center  of  the  United  States  will  not  exceed  two- 
thirds  the  distance  from  the  Australian  ports  to  Swansea. 


220  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

Domestic  Zinc  Ore  Producers  Can  Furnish  Sufficient  Ore  to 
Supply  Spelter  Requirements. 

Mr.  Cockerill  in  Ms  " Summary  of  Views/'  published 
in  the  Mexican  Mining  Journal  for  August,  1908,  states : 

' '  That  if  it  can  be  shown  that  sufficient  ore  can  be  fur- 
nished in  the  United  States  to  operate  the  smelters  that  are 
needed  to  make  the  spelter  that  is  used  in  the  United  States, 
I  will  agree  not  to  fight  against  the  tariff  on  zinc  ore. ' ' 

He  admits  that  my  figures  of  660,000  tons  annual  maxi- 
mum smelter  capacity  are  "approximately  correct."  He 
also  said  that  even  in  busy  times  not  more  than  80%,  or 
528,000  tons,  of  this  capacity  could  be  operated,  continu- 
ously throughout  the  year.  Now,  according  to  the  Mineral 
Industry,  1907,  page  904,  the  production  of  zinc  ore  in  the 
United  States  for  1906  was  905,175  tons  and  that  of  New 
Jersey  was  404,690  tons.  The  production  for  1907  in  the 
United  States  was  903,000  tons  and  that  of  New  Jersey 
368,710  tons.  Of  the  New  Jersey  production  I  concede  his 
claim: 

"That  practically  all  of  this  ore  goes  into  the  manu- 
facture of  zinc  oxide,  and  if  any  of  this  ore  goes  into  the 
manufacture  of  spelter,  it  is  fully  offset  by  ores  from  other 
districts  that  go  into  the  manufacture  of  oxide  at  other 
points." 

After  deducting  the  New  Jersey  production  from  the 
total  United  States  production  we  have  for  1906,  the  sum 
of  500,485  tons  and  for  1907,  the  sum  of  534,290  tons  availa- 
ble for  the  manufacture  of  spelter. 

Mineral  Industry  for  1907  at  page  898  states  that  "In 
1907  there  was  a  large  increase  in  the  zinc  smelting  capacity 
of  the  United  States." 

The  three  smelters  at  Bartlesville,  Oklahoma,  including 
their  8,700  retorts  were  completed  in  1907.  These  have  a 
maximum  yearly  capacity  of  65,000  tons  of  green  ore  and 
80%  of  their  capacity  will  require  about  52,000  tons  of  ore 
for  spelter  purposes. 

After  deducting  the  Bartlesville  increase  of  52,000  tons 
of  new  smelter  construction  in  1907  from  528,000  tons  of 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  221 

smelter  capacity,  (conceded  to  be  correct  by  Mr.  Cockerill), 
we  have  an  apparent  smelter  capacity  for  the  year  1906  of 
476,000  tons.  Not  to  be  too  prolix,  it  will  be  found  that  the 
proposition  may  be  thus  stated: 

Year.  Net  Smelter  Capacity.     Spelter  Ore. 

1906 476,000  tons  500,485  tons 

1907 .528,000  tons  534,290  tons 

And  to  strengthen  the  producer's  position,  the  three 
Bartlesville  smelters  are  reported  not  to  have  started  oper- 
ations until  the  year  1908. 

Mr.  Cockerill  further  reiterates  that  in  1906,  "the  ore 
prices  were  certainly  all  right,  and  we  were  still  unable  to 
get  sufficient  ore  in  this  country  to  run  our  works.  If  we 
had  not  been  able  to  secure  this  ore  in  Mexico,  the  galvan- 
izers,  iron  manufacturers  and  brass  manufacturers  would 
have  had  to  ship  this  spelter  from  foreign  countries,  and  the 
men  laboring  at  our  smelters  would  have  been  thrown  out  of 
employment  because  of  our  inability  to  get  sufficient  ore  to 
run  our  works. ' ' 

Within  the  period  since  1901  there  has  not  been  a  year 
when  the  Joplin  ore  producers  did  not  have  to  resort  to 
some  expedient  to  stop  falling  prices  and  get  rid  of  surplus 
ore  in  the  bins.  Sometimes  ore  was  exported  to  Europe; 
at  other  times  a  large  number  of  the  operators  closed  down 
their  mines  and  the  employes  were  thrown  out  of  employ- 
ment. In  July,  1907,  with  St.  Louis  price  of  spelter  aver- 
aging $6.04  per  hundred  for  the  month  the  operators  of  the 
Joplin  district  inaugurated  one  of  the  most  general  and  com- 
plete shut  downs  in  the  history  of  the  district,  which  became 
effective  on  August  1st  for  sixty  days.  There  are  today  in 
the  Webb  City  district  over  2,000  tons  of  ore  produced  be- 
fore that  time  and  since  held  for  better  prices. 

Cost  of  Smelting  Ore. 

Mr.  Cockerill  at  Joplin  scouted  the  idea  that  the  cost 
of  smelting  one  ton  of  Joplin  ore  at  a  Kansas  gas  smeltery 
was  about  $8.00  per  ton;  but  refused  to  divulge  what  is  the 
actual  smeltery  cost. 


222  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

But  Mr.  W.  R.  Ingalls,  of  New  York,  a  member  of  the 
British  Columbia  Zinc  Commission,  goes  elaborately  into 
smelting  costs,  in  Kansas,  Illinois  and  Eheinland,  Germany. 
He  considers  the  following  items  in  making  up  cost: 

Labor,  fuel,  reduction  material,  clay  and  other  supplies, 
repairs  and  renewals,  and  administration. 

The  result  of  his  investigations  is  as  follows : 

A.  Well   designed   Kansas   smelter;   mechanical 

roasters;  gas  at  2  cents  per  1,000 $8.00 

B.  Well    designed    coal    plant,    in   Illinois,    gas 

firing $9.50 

C.  Ordinary  natural  gas  plant,  in  Kansas;  hand 

roasting  furnaces -. $8.50 

He  then  states  that  "Zinc  ore  is  being  smelted  today 
in  spite  of  increased  cost  for  both  labor  and  gas,  more 
cheaply  in  Kansas  than  it  can  be  in  Europe.  Even  with 
coal  it  can  be  smelted  in  the  United  States  for  approxi- 
mately the  same  cost  as  in  Europe,  although  it  is  hardly  be- 
ing done  at  the  present  time." 

Based  on  a  smelting  cost  of  $8.00  per  ton  of  the  Joplin 
ore  at  the  Kansas  Smeltery  we  find  that  the  smelters  have 
profited  on  such  ores  in  the  following  amounts  for  the  fol- 
lowing years : 

Price  of        St.  Louis     Smelter 
Year.  Joplin  Ore.         Spelter.       Profit. 

1906 V....         44.82  6.04  8.78 

1907 44.36  5.81  6.90 

This  does  not  take  into  consideration  the  saving  of  by- 
products, the  manufacture  of  sulphuric  acid,  etc.,  from 
which  the  smelters  'derive  large  profits. 

The  smelting  business  is  a  permanent  manufacturing 
business.  The  mining  business  is  vexatiously  uncertain, 
even  with  the  best  of  mines.  To  the  unprejudiced  mind,  it 
would  seem  that  the  miner  is  entitled  to  a  greater  profit  per 
ton  of  ore  sold  to  the  smelter,  than  is  the  profit  of  the  smelter 
upon  that  ton  of  ore.  Without  question,  the  miner  is  not 
extracting  his  just  profit. 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  223 

The  Just  Demand  of  the  Zinc  Ore  Producers. 

The  domestic  zinc  ore  producers  in  their  demand  for  an 
adequate  specific  duty  on  zinc  ores  are  merely  asking  that 
their  industry  be  permitted  to  survive  and  prosper.  With 
no  tariff  duty  on  zinc  ores,  and  with  the  future  great  devel- 
opment of  Mexican  mines  and  the  marketing  of  their  abund- 
ance of  zinc  ores  at  the  smelters  of  the  United  States,  but 
one  result  can  happen — the  absolute  stagnation  and  paraly- 
sis of  the  zinc  mining  business  in  this  country. 

The  zinc  miners  of  the  United  States  can  never  compete 
with  the  Mexican  zinc  miners;  any  more  than  our  wool 
growers  found  they  could  prosper  against  the  free  importa- 
tion of  wool  from  Argentina  and  Australia  during  the  ex- 
istence of  the  Wilson  Bill. 

The  living  conditions  of  the  Mexican  miner;  his  abjectly 
low  mode  of  life;  the  ease  and  cheapness  of  quarrying  ore  in 
Mexico;  and  the  inexhaustible  deposits  of  this  cheap  ore; 
all  make  for  ruin  to  our  domestic  zinc  industry,  unless  a 
legislative  barrier  be  raised  against  Mexico,  and  the  living 
conditions  and  wages  of  Mexican  miners. 

The  vast  deposits  of  Mexican  zinc  carbonate  require 
but  little  labor  and  a  minimum  of  powder  to  be  blasted  down 
from  the  hill  sides.  To  use  the  language  of  four  affiants  in 
the  zinc  ore  tariff  case  of  U.  S.  vs  Brewster,  before  men- 
tioned: 

* '  The  ore  occurs  in  solid  veins  or  deposits  and  is  blasted 
out.  Any  of  the  adjoining  rock  that  may  be,  by  accident, 
blasted  out  with  the  ore,  is  sorted  out  by  hand.  Afterwards 
the  ore  is  broken  down  to  a  convenient  size  with  hammers, 
for  transportation  to  the  railroad,  where  it  is  loaded  in  cars 
for  shipment. " 

The  stilted  language  "that  may  be  by  accident,"  is 
strongly  suggestive,  to  say  the  least. 

As  against  this  simple  mining  method,  we  call  attention 
to  the  report  of  ninety-two  mining  companies  in  the  Mis- 
souri-Kansas district,  made  at  the  recent  ways  and  means 
hearing,  showing  an  average  cost  of  over  $37,000  in  devel- 
opment of  mine  and  construction  of  mill. 


224  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

The  Mexican  miner  can  produce  his  ore  and  deliver  it 
at  the  smelter  in  Kansas  for  from  $11.00  to  $14.00  per  ton. 
The  same  cost  in  the  Joplin  district  is  about  $37.75  per  ton. 

Now,  Mr.  Cockerill  at  Joplin  stated  that  with  the  price 
of  St.  Louis  spelter  at  $5.00  per  hundred,  he  could  purchase 
Mexican  ore  f.  o.  b.  his  Kansas  smelter  for  $18.00  per  ton. 
This  ore  assays  40%  metallic  contents.  Figured  on  a  60% 
basis,  the  ore  would  cost  him  $27.00  per  ton.  That  fixes  the 
price  of  Joplin  ore  for  all  time  to  come  at  $27.00  per  ton,  if 
Mexican  ore  continues  on  the  free  list. 

These  statements  necessarily  prompt  the  inquiry: 

What  Is  the  Raw  Material  in  the  Zinc  Mining  Business? 

The  language  of  the  above  mentioned  affiants  proves 
that  the  bulk  of  Mexican  zinc  ore,  delivered  into  the  U.  S.  is 
a  raw  material. 

It  is  the  wool  on  the  sheep's  back,  so  to  speak. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  there  is  a  zinc  mine  in  the  United 
States,  where  the  ore  is  blasted  down,  hand  sorted  and  re- 
duced to  "convenient  size  with  hammers "  and  shipped  to 
the  smelters. 

In  the  Missouri-Kansas  district,  the  zinc  ore,  as  blasted 
out  in  the  mine,  could  not  be  sold  to  the  smelters  at  any 
price.  It  contains  but  3%  to  6%  zinc  concentrates.  It 
must  be  crushed,  rolled,  jigged,  and  the  fine  particles  run 
over  sliming  tables,  before  the  valuable  concentrates  can  be 
placed  in  the  ore  bin,  ready  for  sale  to  the  smelter  buyers. 
This  process  of  concentration  requires  a  most  elaborate  mill, 
involving  a  large  investment  of  capital.  It  is  necessary  to 
rid  the  ore  of  the  associated  rock  and  sand,  called  the 
gangue.  $25,000  is  the  moderate  cost  of  such  a  milling  plant ; 
as  against  this  the  Mexican  miner  has  no  mill  investment. 

It  is  believed  that  throughout  the  entire  zinc  producing 
districts  of  the  United  States  the  same  concentrating  meth- 
ods are  used  as  are  applied  in  the  Missouri-Kansas  field.  It 
is,  therefore,  absurd  to  say  that  the  domestic  zinc  ore  con- 
centrates are  raw  materials.  Is  the  spelter  derived  from 
that  ore,  a  raw  material?  Unless  every  product  is  a  raw 
material,  until  it  lands  in  the  hands  of  the  very  ultimate  con- 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  225 

sumer,  the  domestic  zinc  ore  is  a  highly  manufactured  arti- 
cle. It  should  be  so  treated  by  Congress  in  considering  it 
as  a  lawful  subject  of  protection  by  tariff  duty. 

Investments  in  Smelters. 

The  Census  Bureau  Bulletin,  No.  86,  for  1905,  issued 
in  November,  1907,  gives  some  statistics  relative  to  the  zinc 
smelter  industry  which  are  valuable  and  which  may  be  tab- 
ulated as  follows : 

1900  1905 

Combined  capital $14,192,000        $23,701,500 

Wage  earners    4,561  6,528 

Wages  paid   2,355,813  3,856,466 

Material    consumed    13,283,690          17,028,418 

Products    manufactured   18,188,774          24,791,299 

Number  of  smelteries 31  31 

The  figures  presented  in  the  bulletin  are  only  for  the 
year  1905.  From  percentage  of  increase,  noted  for  each 
item,  it  is  possible  to  ascertain  the  approximate  figures  for 
the  year  1900. 

From  the  most  reliable  smelter  sources  I  am  confident 
that  for  the  present  period  the  following  figures  may  be 
presented : 

Cash  capital  invested  in  smelters  (not  including 

working  capital)   $10,000,000 

Smelting  capacity    (daily) .  . .. .1,550  tons  of  ore 

Wage  earners  employed 5,000 

Products  manufactured  into  spelter  (annually)  .250,000  tons 

Materials  consumed  (daily) $85,000 

Smelting  cost  per  ton  of  ore .$10  to  $14 

It  is  a  conservative  statement  to  make  that  in  the  Mis- 
souri-Kansas district  alone  employment  is  given  to  over 
10,000  wage  earners ;  and  that  the  investment  value  of  min- 
ing lands,  mining  leases,  mines  and  mining  plants,  fully 
equals  $50,000,000. 

Add  to  this  statement  the  number  of  men  employed  and 
the  investment  value  of  zinc  properties  in  all  other  sections 
of  the  United  States,  and  the  statement  must  be  most  as- 


226  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  IT. 

founding,  compared  to  the  number  of  smeltery  employes 
and  cash  investment  in  smelters. 

With  the  smelting  business  prospering;  with  the  ore- 
producing  business  languishing;  which  interest  should  ap- 
peal to  the  policy  of  protection,  based  upon  the  number  of 
employes  involved,  the  profit  of  the  business,  and  the  ulti- 
mate good  which  can  be  dispensed  to  the  greatest  number 
of  individuals,  affected  by  a  rational  protective  tariff? 

What  Has  Protection  Done  for  Lead  Ore? 

Consider  what  the  Dingley  Act  of  1897  did  for  lead  ore 
in  affording  a  rational  classification,  so  that  all  lead  bearing 
ores  paid  a  duty  upon  the  lead  contents,  regardless  of  what 
other  ore  was  the  component  material  of  chief  value.  Prior 
to  the  Dingley  Act,  if  silver  lead  ore  contained  greater 
money  value  of  silver  contents  than  lead  contents,  the  whole 
importation  was  classified  as  silver  ore  and  came  in  duty 
free.  This  method  of  classification  worked  a  great  hard- 
ship to  the  United  States  lead  mines ;  they  were  at  the  mercy 
of  the  Mexican  lead  miners;  it  was  said  in  1897  that: 

4 'The  large  supply  of  silver-lead  ore  in  Mexico  enables 
that  country  at  present  to  control  our  market.  For  as  soon 
as  the  price  of  lead  reaches  a  point  that  the  manipulators 
of  Mexican  ore  consider  favorable  they  put  upon  the  market 
all  the  lead  it  can  make  to  prevent  any  such  increase  in  the 
price  as  will  protect  our  home  industries.  They  thus  hold 
the  power  to  keep  down  the  industry  absolutely  and  to  limit 
any  tendency  in  upward  prices.  This  power  they  used  in 
the  calendar  year  1895  to  the  extent  of  putting  on  the  mar- 
ket 20,000  tons  of  lead  from  Mexican  ores,  and  27,000  tons 
of  lead  from  Mexican  bullion. " 

It  was  complained  that  in  1896  the  official  price  of  lead 
at  New  York  City  touched  the  lowest  point  ever  recorded 
there;  i.  e.,  2%  cents  per  pound  and  for  a  considerable  time 
the  New  York  price  was  on  a  par  with  the  London  price. 
As  soon  as  the  Dingley  Bill  was  passed  lead  went  up  to 
$4.40  in  1897;  $4.75  in  1900;  and  $6.25  in  1905. 

The  Dingley  Bill  not  only  stimulated  the  prices  of  lead, 
but  it  likewise  encouraged  domestic  production  and  de- 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  227 

creased  importations  from  abroad.  Taking  the  seven  years 
before  the  passage  of  that  law  and  the  seven  years  subse- 
quent to  its  passage,  it  will  be  found  that  during  the  latter 
period  lead  ore  imports  decreased  45%  and  domestic  pro- 
duction increased  55%. 

Some  of  the  opponents  to  a  tariff  on  zinc  ore  declare 
that  it  will  not  increase  the  domestic  price  of  the  ore;  that 
is  diametrically  opposed  to  the  usual  arguments  that  a  tariff 
duty  creates  a  domestic  price,  of  the  foreign  price  of  the 
commodity  plus  the  amount  of  tariff  duty.  What  a  pro- 
tective duty  has  done  for  lead  ore,  we  believe  it  may  do  for 
zinc  ore.  In  June  and  July,  1908,  the  government  reports 
showed  that  Mexican  lead  was  being  delivered  to  the  border 
ports  of  entry  at  the  price  of  $36.07  per  ton,  and  lead  was 
selling  in  the  Joplin  district  for  $60.00  per  ton.  Why  the 
difference!  Simply  because  a  tariff  duty  of  $24.00  per  ton 
of  80%  lead  contents  kept  up  the  domestic  price.  And  let 
it  be  said  that  the  good  price  for  lead  ore  during  a  large 
part  of  the  summer  has  worked  a  great  benefit  to  the  Joplin 
district,  and  has  enabled  many  zinc  mines,  which  were  re- 
spectable producers  of  lead  ore,  to  operate  at  a  profit  and 
give  employment  to  many  miners. 

Legislation  Required. 

Now,  the  question  is,  shall  the  zinc  ore  producers  of  the 
United  States  bend  the  knee  to  Mr.  Cockerill  and  take  $27.00 
per  ton  for  zinc  ore  (which  is  entirely  out  of  the  question) 
or  shall  we  insist  upon  and  get  such  legislation  from  Con- 
gress as  will  protect  zinc  ore  at  least  to  the  amount  of  differ- 
ence in  cost  of  producing  a  ton  of  Mexican  ore  and  a  ton  of 
domestic  ore?  This  difference  is  about  $18.00  per  ton.  The 
legislation  urged  before  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee  at 
Washington  last  week  was  designed  to  accomplish  that  re- 
sult. It  provides  in  substance  that  all  imported  zinc  ores 
shall  pay  a  duty  of  1%  cents  per  pound  on  the  "zinc  con- 
tained therein/' 

This  duty  would  make  Joplin  zinc  ore  worth  a  $45.00 
base  price.  At  that  rate  3  and  4  per  cent,  mines  in  this  dis- 
trict can  operate  at  a  profit 


228  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

The  smelters  during  the  year  1905  paid  an  average 
base  price  of  over  $47.40  per  ton  for  Joplin  ore  and  re- 
ceived an  average  price  of  $5.73  per  hundred  for  spelter. 
They  must  have  prospered  at  that  ratio  between  ore  and 
spelter  because  throughout  the  entire  year  of  1906,  a  large 
increase  of  smelter  capacity  was  taking  place. 

We  believe  that  our  demands  are  just,  that  our  cause 
will  prevail  before  Congress;  and  that  the  sunshine  of  pros- 
perity will  then  prevail  over  the  zinc  ore  mining  districts 
of  the  United  States. 

In  so  doing,  our  united  effort  is  directed  to  the  end  that 
the  following  provision,  in  relation  to  lead  and  zinc  ores,  be 
placed  in  the  new  tariff  bill,  to  be  considered  by  the  61st 
Congress : 

Lead  bearing  ore  of  all  kinds,  one  and  one-half  (1%) 
cents  per  pound  on  the  lead  contained  therein ;  zinc  bearing 
ore  of  all  kinds,  one  and  one-half  (1%)  cents  per  pound  on 
the  zinc  contained  therein; 

Provided,  That  all  ores  imported  which  contain  both 
lead  and  zinc  shall  pay  one  and  one-half  (1%)  cents  per 
pound  on  the  lead  contained  therein,  and  also  one  and  one- 
half  (1%)  cents  per  pound  on  the  zinc  contained  therein; 
and 

Provided,  further,  That  on  all  importations  of  lead 
bearing  ores  and  of  zinc  bearing  ores  the  duties  shall  be 
estimated  at  the  port  of  entry  and  a  bond  given  in  double 
the  amount  of  such  estimated  duties  for  the  transportation 
of  the  ores  by  common  carriers  bonded  for  the  transporta- 
tion of  appraised  or  unappraised  merchandise  to  properly 
equipped  sampling  or  smelting  establishments,  whether  de- 
signated as  bonded  warehouse  or  otherwise.  On  the  ar- 
rival of  the  ores  at  such  establishments  they  shall  be  sam- 
pled according  to  commercial  methods  under  the  supervis- 
ion of  government  officers,  who  shall  be  stationed  at  such 
establishments,  and  who  shall  submit  the  samples  thus  ob- 
tained to  a  government  assay er,  designated  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury,  who  shall  make  a  proper  assay  of  the 
sample,  and  report  the  result  to  the  proper  custom  officers, 
and  the  import  entries  shall  be  liquidated  thereon,  except 


TARIFF  ON  ZINC  ORES.  229 

in  case  of  ores  that  shall  be  removed  to  a  bonded  ware- 
house to  be  refined  for  exportation  as  provided  by  law.  And 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  is  authorized  to  make  all 
necessary  regulations  to  enforce  the  provision  of  this  para- 
graph. 


Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Mining  Industry. 


BY   JUDGE   GEORGE   GRAY,  WILMINGTON,   DEL. 

Since  my  recent  letters  explaining  the  impossibility  of 
my  complying  with  the  many  kind  suggestions  that  I  should 
attend  the  coming  session  of  the  American  Mining  Con- 
gress, December  2-5,  and  say  something  on  the  subject  of 
arbitration  as  a  factor  in  the  mining  industry,  it  has  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I  might  add  to  my  former  letters  some  ex- 
pression of  my  interest  in  the  occasion  and  in  the  general 
subject  of  arbitration,  as  the  means  of  assuring  industrial 
peace. 

I  gladly  recognize  the  increasing  public  interest  in  this 
subject.  No  real  advance  in  the  civilization  of  modern 
times  has  been  made,  unless  it  be  the  result  of  aroused  pub- 
lic attention  and  that  intelligent  and  free  discussion  for 
which  popular  institutions  give  the  greatest  opportunity. 
Such  results  must  needs  be  of  slow  achievement,  and  human 
nature  is  so  constituted  that  time  and  use  are  necessary  to 
intrench  them  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  make  them 
permanent  parts  of  our  social  structure,  to  be  accepted 
without  challenge  or  question.  We  have,  then,  no  reason 
to  be  discouraged,  much  less  to  despair,  of  the  progress 
made  in  very  recent  times  in  the  cause  of  arbitration  for  the 
settlement  of  industrial  controversies.  We  have  just  cause, 
as  American  citizens,  to  be  proud  that  our  country  has  led 
the  way  in  commending  International  Arbitration  to  the 
Family  of  Nations  as  a  substitute  for  war,  in  the  settlement 
of  International  difficulties.  Our  example  has  slowly,  but 
measurably,  influenced  the  diplomacy  of  the  world,  and  I 
believe  we  can  confidently  look  forward  to  a  fast  approach- 
ing time,  when  resort  to  the  World 's  Tribunal  at  The  Hague 
would  be  the  first,  and  not  the  last,  thought,  on  the  occur- 
rence of  International  difficulties. 

It  seems  amazing,  when  we  take  a  backward  glance  at 
the  history  of  even  modern  times,  that  humanity  should 


ARBITRATION  AS  A  FACTOR  IN  THE  MINING  INDUSTRY.    231 

have  been  subjected  to  the  suffering  and  material  and  moral 
havoc  wrought  by  what  now  seem  unnecessary  wars,  and  we 
rejoice  that  much  of  this  is  now  made  impossible  by  the 
clearer  recognition  of  the  truth,  that  there  are  few  Interna- 
tional difficulties  that  cannot  be  more  satisfactorily  ad- 
justed by  peaceful  arbitration  than  by  resort  to  war. 

The  analogy  between  International  Arbitration  and 
Industrial  Arbitration  is  not  an  unnatural  or  forced  one. 
The  widespread  suffering,  material  loss  and  moral  deterior- 
ation wrought  by  obstinate  and  uncompromising  industrial 
strife,  in  comparatively  recent  times,  are  caused  by  the 
same  obstinate  pride  of  opinion,  the  same  cruel  tyranny  ex- 
hibited in  the  desire  of  individuals  or  classes  to  work  their 
arbitrary  will  upon  others,  and  the  same  blind  disregard  of 
all  interests,  save  those  of  the  parties  to  the  controversy,  as 
have  characterized  most  International  Wars.  In  the  one 
case  as  in  the  other,  all  intelligent  men  must  agree  that  a 
settlement  of  the  difficulties  which  were  the  origin  of  the 
war  or  the  strike,  by  the  arbitration  of  an  impartial  and  in- 
telligent tribunal,  would  have  been  infinitely  more  satis- 
factory to  the  parties  concerned,  and  would  have,  in  addi- 
tion, saved  all  the  frightful  cost,  both  moral  and  material, 
of  the  other  alternative. 

In  most  cases — I  will  not  say  in  all — objections  to  arbi- 
tration, in  the  settlement  of  industrial  controversies,  spring 
from  the  baser — not  the  nobler — passions  and  feelings  of 
our  nature.  Arbitration  is  an  appeal  to  reason  and  con- 
science; its  alternative  an  appeal  to  brute  force.  To  the 
latter,  no  American  willingly  submits.  A  just  cause  need 
not  fear  to  submit  itself  to  the  judgment  of  intelligent  and 
impartial  men.  The  maxim,  that  no  man  is  a  good  judge 
in  his  own  cause,  is  true  in  labor  controversies  as  it  is  in 
other  human  affairs.  But,  whether  the  cause  on  either  side 
is  just,  or  whether  justice  lies  not  altogether  on  one  side  or 
the  other,  can  never  be  determined  by  force,  and  a  sober 
public  opinion  will  never  be  satisfied  or  conciliated  by  such 
determination,  nor  in  the  large  majority  of  cases  by  the  re- 
fusal of  either  party  to  such  a  controversy  to  submit  to  fair 
and  impartial  arbitration. 


232  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

These  sentences  sound  like  platitudes;  so  obvious  are 
they,  that  one  hesitates  to  seriously  argue  them.  They 
surely  commend  themselves  to  all  right  thinking  minds. 
Nevertheless,  it  remains  true,  that  in  this  matter,  as  in 
others,  things  obviously  true  and  obviously  for  the  better- 
ment of  human  conditions  are  often  most  slow  in  gaining 
that  universal  acceptance  that  renders  them  useful  in  the 
practical  affairs  of  life.  Time  and  use  will  insure  this  gen- 
eral acceptance,  and  it  only  needs  that  both  sides  to  a  strike 
situation  should  realize  the  importance — nay  the  duty — of 
at  once  submitting  the  questions  that  seem  incapable  of 
solution  by  the  parties  themselves,  to  the  arbitrament  of  an 
intelligent  and  unbiased  tribunal. 

I  am  speaking  here  of  voluntary,  not  compulsory,  arbi- 
tration. To  the  approval  of  the  latter,  I  have  not  yet  been 
able  to  reconcile  my  own  judgment.  We  welcome  the  for- 
mer, not  only  as  a  settlement  of  serious  and  dangerous  con- 
troversies, but  for  the  self  control  and  civic  virtue  which  it 
evidences  and  promotes.  No  one,  who  witnessed  as  I  did 
the  development  of  mutual  respect  and  high  courtesy  on 
both  sides  of  the  controversy,  throughout  the  daily  sessions 
of  the  protracted  hearing  by  the  Anthracite  Coal  Strike 
Commission,  and  the  ability  and  fairness  with  which  the 
argument  on  both  sides  was  conducted,  could  fail  to  have 
been  impressed  with  the  dignity  of  the  occasion  and  the 
disciplinary  influence  upon  operators  and  miners  alike,  of 
the  voluntary  submission  of  their  questions  of  difference  to 
an  arbitral  tribunal.  Nothing  occurred  to  disturb  the  calm 
atmosphere  in  which  reason  and  justice  can  best  assert 
themselves.  , 

We  are  not  without  evidence  that  an  intelligent  public 
opinion  is  maturing  on  these  lines,  and  by  its  moral  coercion 
will  compel  the  adoption  of  this  course  in  serious  labor  dif- 
ficulties, where  real  questions  present  themselves  requiring 
careful  investigation  and  the  calm  exercise  of  the  judicial 
faculty  for  their  determination.  I  do  not,  of  course,  mean 
that  every  small  difference  of  opinion,  disappointment  or 
caprice,  entertained  on  one  side  or  the  other,  by  employers 


ARBITRATION  AS  A  FACTOR  IN  THE  MINING  INDUSTRY.    233 

or  employed,  should  be  the  occasion  of  an  arbitration,  or 
that  the  personal  liberty  of  men  to  work  or  not  work,  or 
reasonably  to  control  their  own  business,  should  ever  be 
brought  into  controversy;  but  where  the  situation  is  com- 
plex, out  of  which  the  alleged  grievances  arise,  and  the  atti- 
tude of  each  party  is  that  of  obstinate  adherence  to  its  own 
demands,  arbitration  alone  can  satisfy  the  ends  of  justice. 

To  this  end,  in  so  large  and  widespread  an  industry  as 
that  of  mining,  Miners'  Unions  become  a  necessary  factor. 
And  this  leads  at  once  to  the  thought  that  such  unions 
should  be  encouraged,  and  not  discouraged,  and  their  better 
organization  and  leadership  be  insured  by  the  hearty  sym- 
pathy of  all  parties,  operators  as  well  as  miners.  It  is  a 
mistake  to  suppose  that  the  highest  ideals  of  citizenship 
are  not  compatible  with  membership  in  such  organizations. 
They  were  not  intended  to  be  nursing  mothers  of  anarchy 
and  lawlessness,  but  rather  the  promoters  of  civic  right- 
eousness and  justice.  And  if  I  might  say  a  personal  word 
to  the  members  of  these  unions,  I  should  say  what  I  have 
said  before,  let  your  societies  illustrate  not  only  your  intelli- 
gence and  courage  in  times  of  prosperity,  but  also  in  times 
of  adversity  and  gloom.  Brave  men  are  brave  everywhere 
and  at  all  times,  and  wise  men  should  not  lose  their  wisdom 
and  self  control  when  things  go  hard  or  wrong.  Keligious 
obligation  and  common  manhood  alike  require  us  to  meet 
adverse  circumstances  with  fortitude  and  patience,  and  to 
not  seek  to  tear  down  and  rend,  because  want  and  suffering 
may,  in  the  vicissitudes  of  life,  come  for  a  time  to  our 
hearthstones.  Hard  times  are  bound  at  intervals  to  come, 
but  envy  and  jealousy  and  all  uncharitableness  will  not 
mend  them.  Rather  believe  that  all  interests  and  all  condi- 
tions of  men  are  bound  together  by  a  common  humanity  and 
a  common  sympathy,  and  the  charity  of  judgment  you  ex- 
hibit to  others  will  return  to  you  in  ten  fold  blessing  from 
those  towards  whom  you  exercise  it.  Your  personal  and 
individual  liberty  can  only  be  secure  in  the  willing  and  gen- 
erous recognition  of  the  like  liberty  of  your  neighbor  or 
fellow-citizen.  The  homage  you  pay  to  his,  is  the  title  deed 
ancl  assurance  of  your  own.  Believing  thus  and  acting 


234  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

thus,  you  can  fearlessly  demand  for  yourself  that  justice, 
the  love  of  which  is  implanted  so  deep  in  the  human  heart. 
This  is  the  burden  of  my  thought,  which  I  should  have 
been  glad  to  have  amplified,  could  I  have  availed  myself  of 
the  invitation  you  so  kindly  extended  to  me. 


Arbitration  as  a  Factor  in  the  Mining  Industry. 

BY  THOMAS  L.  LEWIS,  PRESIDENT  U.  M.  W.  OF  A.,  SPRINGFIELD,  ILL. 

We  have  assembled  here  as  the  representatives  of  the 
greatest  industrial  nation  in  the  world.  We  owe  our  indus- 
trial and  commercial  greatness  to  our  valuable  coal  deposits 
and  our  ability  to  produce  cheap  fuel. 

Every  citizen  of  this  country  should  be  interested  in  the 
coal  mining  industry,  not  because  it  is  the  foundation  of  our 
industrial  greatness,  not  because  it  is  the  life  blood  of  our 
commercial  supremacy,  not  because  it  produces  the  heat 
and  light  that  bring  comfort  and  happiness  to  the  home 
of  millions  of  people,  but  because  the  occupation  of  the 
miner  is  the  most  hazardous  of  any  in  the  country,  with  the 
single  exception  of  those  employed  in  the  powder  mills. 
The  work  of  devising  some  method  to  better  protect  the 
lives  of  the  mine  workers  is  worthy  the  serious  considera- 
tion of  all  men  and  women  who  are  interested  in  the  ma- 
terial welfare  of  humanity. 

We  have  also  met  for  the  purpose  of  considering  many 
questions  that  vitally  and  directly  effect  the  mining  indus- 
try and  those  employed  in  or  associated  with  its  develop- 
ment. 

To  me  has  been  assigned  the  subject  "Arbitration  as  a 
Factor  in  the  Mining  Industry. ' ' 

This  subject  has  a  peculiar  application  to  the  coal  min- 
ing industry  for  the  reason  that  arbitration  has  done  more 
than  strikes  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  miners  and  to 
give  stability  to  the  industry. 

As  we  understand  arbitration  in  its  application  to  the 
mining  industry,  there  are  two  kinds— the  one  kind  of  arbi- 
tration is  where  the  representatives  of  the  two  parties  to  a 
controversy  disagree  and  call  upon  a  third  person  to  settle 
their  differences.  The  other  kind  of  arbitration  is  where 
the  representatives  of  the  two  parties  to  a  dispute  settle 
their  own  differences  without  calling  upon  the  third  person. 

Time  will  not  permit  of  a  detailed  explanation  of  the 


236  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

difference  in  the  two  methods  of  arbitration  or  their  effect 
upon  the  mining  industry.  I  shall  briefly  explain  the  dif- 
ference and  which  is  to  be  most  desired  as  a  factor  for 
permanent  peace  between  employer  and  employe. 

First.  The  method  of  arbitration  requiring  the  selec- 
tion of  a  third  person  to  settle  differences  between  contend- 
ing parties,  does  not  permanently  settle  an  industrial  dis- 
pute, neither  does  it  give  satisfaction  to  the  parties  directly 
interested. 

To  illustrate:  The  real  merits  of  the  question  at  issue 
are  not  considered  for  the  reason  that  the  umpire  is  usually 
selected,  not  because  of  his  personal  knowledge  of  the  many 
details  of  the  dispute  to  be  settled,  but  because  of  his  im- 
partial mind,  honest  purpose  and  the  desire  that  he  shall 
deal  with  the  questions  in  dispute  from  a  general  rather 
than  a  technical  standpoint.  His  decision  for  this  reason 
must  necessarily  be  general  in  character  and  usually  a  com- 
promise. 

In  the  great  anthracite  coal  strike,  we  have  one  exam- 
ple of  such  arbitration.  The  members  of  the  anthracite 
coal  strike  commission  were  among  the  most  eminent  and 
intelligent  men  of  our  country.  No  one  questions  their  sin- 
cerity of  purpose,  their  desire  to  arrive  at  a  correct  solution 
of  the  questions  in  dispute,  and  every  one  realizes  that  they 
worked  honestly  and  faithfully  to  solve  the  problem  that 
caused  the  greatest  industrial  conflict  in  the  history  of  the 
country. 

The  decision  of  the  Anthracite  Coal  Strike  Commission 
was  a  compromise  and  in  its  application  to  the  wage  ques- 
tion, it  did  not  give  to  the  anthracite  employes  an  equal  ad- 
vance in  wages.  This  was  no  fault  of  the  work  of  the  Com- 
mission, but  rather  a  fault  of  the  conditions  under  which  the 
anthracite  mine  workers  labored.  For  this  reason  the 
problem  has  not  been  permanently  settled  in  the  anthracite 
coal  field. 

In  Alabama  at  a  later  date  we  had  another  instance  of 
this  kind  of  arbitration  to  settle  disputes  in  the  mining  in- 
dustry of  that  state.  It  was  known  that  the  miners '  repre- 
sentatives in  presenting  their  evidence  to  the  arbitration 


ARBITRATION  AS  A  FACTOR  IN  THE  MINING  INDUSTRY.   237 

board  practically  won  every  demand  they  made  and  the  um- 
pire, Judge  Gray,  decided  most  of  the  questions  in  favor  of 
the  miners.  Some  of  the  questions  at  issue  were  compro- 
mised. This  did  not  permanently  settle  the  differences,  be- 
cause the  following  year  the  operators  repudiated  the  entire 
work  of  the  arbitration  board  and  made  war  on  the  miners. 

Second.  The  other  kind  of  arbitration  is  where  repre- 
sentatives of  the  parties  to  a  dispute  meet  in  conference  and 
present  their  propositions  and  support  those  propositions 
with  the  facts  and  decide  the  questions  at  issue  on 
their  merits.  This  method  of  arbitration  has  been  a  power- 
ful factor  in  promoting  peace  in  the  mining  industry,  set- 
tling differences  between  employer  and  employe  without 
resorting  to  strikes,  and  giving  that  stability  to  the  mining 
industry  which  it  cannot  secure  or  maintain  in  any  other 
manner. 

This  method  of  arbitration  depends  for  its  success  on 
several  essential  elements: 

(a)  Employer    and    employe    must    recognize    each 
other's  rights  as  a  factor  to  the  development  of  the  mining 
industry. 

(b)  That  any  demands  made  must  be  supported   by 
facts  or  there  is  no  reason  for  attempting  to  sustain  them. 

(c)  That  passion  and  prejudice  must  give  way  to  rea- 
son and  intelligence  in  the  presentation  of  claims  by  either 
party. 

(d)  That  final  conclusions  must  be  reached  by  the 
unanimous  consent  of  all  representatives  in  the  conference. 
This  feature  protects  all  parties  and  requires  each  to  be  cau- 
tious and  to  proceed  with  negotiations  in  an  intelligent  man- 
ner. 

This  method  of  arbitration  has  materially  advanced  the 
wages  of  the  mine  workers  in  most  of  the  mining  states  of 
our  country.  It  has  lessened  the  hours  of  labor  and  im- 
proved the  conditions  of  employment.  More  important 
than  these,  it  has  established  a  better  relationship  between 
the  employer  and  employe  and  has  been  the  means  of  edu- 
cating thousands  of  mine  workers  to  take  a  keener  interest 
in  their  rights  and  duties  as  citizens  of  this  country.  It 


238  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

has  also  been  an  incentive  for  mine  workers  to  locate  per- 
manently and  own  their  own  homes. 

This  latter  feature  alone  is  one  of  the  strong  endorse- 
ments of  this  kind  of  arbitration  as  a  factor  in  the  mining 
industry. 

The  system  is  not  without  its  weaknesses.  It  has  not 
always  been  a  complete  success,  but  it  is  the  most  successful 
method  of  arbitration  that  we  know  of  as  a  factor  to  estab- 
lish and  maintain  peace  between  employer  and  employe  in 
the  mining  industry. 

As  one  party  to  the  development  of  the  mining  indus- 
try, the  miners  demand  nothing  that  they  are  not  willing  to 
concede  to  the  employers.  We  seek  no  special  favors  either 
from  the  mine  owners  or  the  American  people. 

Equal  rights  and  opportunities  are  what  we  want  and 
we  will  not  be  satisfied  until  we  have  succeeded  in  bringing 
into  joint  conferences  the  mine  owners  of  the  country.  Give 
us  this  system  of  arbitration  and  we  will  be  able  to  demon- 
strate our  ability  to  establish  industrial  peace  so  far  as  it 
affects  mining.  By  this  method  we  will  solve  many  of  the 
problems  that  now  seem  to  perplex  even  this  Mining  Con- 
gress. 


Problems  of  the  Coal  Industry. 


BY  ALEXANDER  DEMPSTER,   OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 

TUG  subject  upon  which  I  am  to  speak  is  "Problems  of 
the  Coal  Industry/'  That  is  another  name  for  the  discus- 
sions and  papers  which  you  have  heard,  because  they  are 
all  app^cable  to  this  point,  the  problems  of  the  mining  in- 
dustry. 

You  have  heard  one  discussion  from  our  good  friend 
Mr.  Osuorne,  who  has  just  taken  his  seat,  on  the  conserva- 
tion of  our  coal.  There  is  no  one  who  is  more  interested  in 
this  district  or  anywhere  else  than  is  the  gentleman  who  has 
just  taken  his  seat.  He  is  a  large  operator  and  deeply  in- 
terested, and  so  far  his  interest  lies  in  the  conservation  of 
his  coal  fields,  and  what  is  true  of  him  is  true  of  every  other 
operator  in  this  or  any  other  district.  It  appeals  to  every 
owner  to  conserve  his  interests  by  saving  or  stopping  waste. 
When  <:oal  was  so  cheap  as  it  was  fifty  years  ago,  it  was  a 
matter  of  a  comparatively  small  amount  of  money  to  leave 
coal  in  the  ground,  which  was  done  at  that  time,  and  is  done 
to  a  certain  extent  to-day,  because  of — I  was  going  to  say 
improper  mining — but  that  is  gradually  being  overcome, 
and  soon  will  come  the  time  when  we  will  take  out  at  least 
90  per  c^ent  of  the  coal  in  the  ground  instead  of  the  per- 
centage \vhich  we  now  take.  Some  may  be  getting  that 
amount  now,  but  not  a  large  number. 

Mi .  Chairman,  I  do  not  intend  to  discuss  any  theoretical 
problems  1  want  to  make  a  few  remarks  on  the  questions 
that  more  nearly  concern  us,  and  on  an  issue  as  brought  be- 
fore us  yesterday,  which  has  been  brought  before  us  be- 
fore, and  has  been  before  us  to-day,  the  establishment  of  a 
mining  bureau.  There  are  various  questions  that  are  im- 
portant, among  which  are  what  -shall  be  the  province  and 
scope  of  that  national  mining  bureau  which  is  being  estab- 
lished. We  listened  to  a  discussion  this  morning  somewhat 
on  the  lines  of  what  was  national  and  what  was  state  terri- 


240  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

tory.  Mr.  Harrison  read  his  paper  raising  that  question, 
but  without,  I  think,  at  least  so  far  as  I  heard,  making  any 
positive  recommendation  relative  thereto,  or  taking  sides 
thereon.  I  will  raise  the  question,  Mr.  Chairman,  not  for 
the  purpose  of  doing  more  than  calling  attention  to  it.  Now 
what  shall  be  the  scope  of  that  national  bureau  proposed  to 
be  attached  to  the  Interior  Department?  Shall  it  be  that 
of  investigation  and  dissemination  of  knowledge  that  they 
acquire  or  shall  they  go  on  further  and  extend  suggestions 
that  will  include  supervision  of  mines  by  the  national  Gov- 
ernment instead  of  the  state?  That  is  the  question  that  con- 
cerns P.  good  many  coal  men,  and  it  will  have  to  be  carefully 
guarded  as  to  the  line  of  demarkation  or  limitation,  if  you 
please,  between  the  state  and  the  national  authority.  The 
state,  having  charge  of  its  police  regulations,  must  have  and 
will  have  charge  of  the  mines.  What  I  suggest  is  that  you 
get  Brother  Holmes,  and  the  others  who  are  interested 
(amon^  which  I  myself  am  one)  to  see  that  this  law  be  so 
framed  that  there  can  be  no  misunderstanding,  no  am- 
biguity, no  words  that  can  be  misconstrued  afterwards  into 
a  conflk-t  between  the  two. 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  have  been  somewhat  disappointed  in. 
the  discussion  of  this  branch  of  our  subject  before  this  Con- 
gress in  listening  to  the  eulogies  of  the  theory  and  passing 
by  the  practical  and  the  facts.  What  I  mean  by  this  is  that 
there  lias  not  been  sufficient  importance  attached  to,  nor  suf- 
ficient notice  taken,  of  what  has  been  done,  for  example,  in 
the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  by  the  operators,  for  the  very 
purpose  of  accomplishing  that  for  which  this  bureau  is  to  be 
established,  according  to  the  light  they  had.  The  province 
of  this  bureau  is  to  secure  more  light  and  to  disseminate  it 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  charge  of  our  mining  de- 
partment in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  and  other  states. 

I  want  to  say,  Mr.  Chairman,  and  I  want  it  to  go  out 
from  this  convention,  that  the  mining  department  of  the 
state  of  Pennsylvania,  through  its  chief  and  assistants,  has 
exercised  reasonable  vigilance  and  efficiency  in  the  super- 
vision of  mines  and  the  intelligent  application  of  the  laws, 


PROBLEMS    OF   THE    COAL    INDUSTRY.  241 

and,  spurred  by  the  accidents  that  have  happened,  it  is 
now  making,  under  the  recommendation  and  appointment 
of  the  governor,  such  revision  of  the  laws,  the  operation  of 
which  will  be,  if  not  the  elimination  of  accident,  at  least 
its  reduction  to  a  minimum  of  probability.  The  new  law  will 
embody  the  up-to-date  knowledge  and  most  advanced  in- 
formation they  can  secure;  said  commission  is  more  than 
receptive  in  its  attitude  relative  to  all  the  channels  of  any 
information  coming  from  any  sources.  The  state  of  Penn- 
sylvania is  doing  everything  it  can  to  protect  the  lives  and 
promote  -the  welfare  of  its  miners,  and  by  so  doing  is  going 
along  the  lines  of  action  indicated  here.  And  the  province 
of  this  bureau  is  to  secure  further  knowledge  and  dissemi- 
nate the  same  throughout  every  state  in  the  Union.  There 
is  a  great  deal  in  the  mysteries  of  Nature  that  we  do  not 
yet  know,  and  it  is  for  these  people  to  investigate  such  mat- 
ters as  will  be  for  the  benefit  of  humanity,  and  give  it  to  our 
mining  departments  through  the  different  states.  There 
is  the  sunshine  in  the  heavens,  and  it  sheds  its  rays  over  all 
the  earth.  Here  in  the  arsenal  is  the  sun  of  science  to  shed 
its  rays  of  whatever  knowledge  it  may  acquire  in  its  investi- 
gation throughout  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  the 
whole  mining  region  of  the  United  States  of  America. 
(Applause.) 

Th\s  to  my  mind  is  the  proper  province  of  the  nation, 
and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  nation  to  thus  provide  for  the  wel- 
fare of -its  people.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen,  I  want  to 
say  that  I  am  not  here  just  as  a  coal  operator  and  repre- 
sentative of  the  coal  operators.  Whatever  I  may  say  that 
is  worth  saying  belongs  to  me  as  a  representative  of  the 
coal  operators.  Whatever  I  say  that  is  irrelevant,  incom- 
petent or  unwise  belongs  to  me  individually  and  not  to  me 
in  a  representative  capacity.  (Laughter.) 

Inasmuch,  Mr.  Chairman,  as  I  have  no  set  speech,  I  am 
a  little  rambling,  but  I  will  try  and  get  some  thought  in.  A 
great  deal  has  been  said  about  accidents,  and  the  relation 
that  we  bear  to  foreign  countries  in  connection  with  acci- 
dents. 


242  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

This  question  was  considered  so  important,  Mr.  Chair- 
man, that  our  Government  invited  foreign  people  to  instruct 
us;  and  in  a  report  teach  us  how  to  act  and  how  to  perform 
our  duties  to  our  miners,  and  we  have  been  held  up  as  coal 
operators  in  the  light  of  having  more  accidents  occurring 
here  in  America  than  occurred  in  foreign  lands  they  repre- 
sented, and  that  our  mining  conditions  are  not  nearly  so 
favorable  towards  the  prevention  of  accidents  as  they  are  in 
those  countries.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  will  call  your  attention  to 
an  accident  in  Germany  of  a  few  weeks  ago,  to  an  accident 
in  France  of  older  date,  as  samples  to  show  that  the  acci- 
dents that  happen  there  under  the  jurisdiction  of  foreign 
governments  which  exercise  authority  over  the  mines  are  as 
serious  as  those  that  happen  in  this  country.  I  have  here  a 
report  of  1893,  taken  from  a  report  that  was  made  by  some 
of  our  mining  people,  which  shows  that  in  Pennsylvania 
there  were  3.84  average  lives  lost  per  million  tons  of  coal 
mined.  In  Great  Britain  it  was  4.15,  in  Germany  6.35,  in 
France  6.56,  in  Belgium  5.71,  in  Austria  8.16,  thus  showing 
that  our  ' '  death  rate ' '  by  mining  accidents  is  the  lowest  per- 
centage per  million  tons  mined  of  any  of  the  countries,  and 
one  reason  why  our  accidents  have  been  multiplied  so  as  to 
appear  so  much  greater  than  theirs  is  that  the  others  do  not 
do  as  much  work  as  we  do,  so  that  ascertaining  the  work 
done  by  us,  compared  with  that  of  other  countries  dissipates 
the  assertion  that  we  kill  more  people,  and  have  more  fatal 
accidents  in  our  country  than  in  theirs  in  proportion  to  the 
production  of  coal. 

As  to  the  position  that  the  operators  take  relative  to 
the  protection  of  their  miners,  we  have  this  fact:  That  but 
a  few  weeks  before  the  "Marianna"  disaster  there  was  a 
letter  sont  out  from  the  headquarters  of  the  company  by  its 
president  to  all  the  officials  impressing  upon  them  the  im- 
portan?e  of  doing  everything  in  their  power,  and  within 
their  knowledge,  for  the  safety  of  the  miners  of  that  com- 
pany. What  is  true  of  one  is  true  of  another.  While  we 
have  had  disasters,  most  serious  and  painful  disasters,  there 
is  no  person  who  laments  such  more  than  the  operators  who 
are  interested,  and  who  have  suffered  thereby. 


PROBLEMS   OF   THE    COAL    INDUSTRY.  243 

To  illustrate  the  position  of  the  operator,  let  me  read 
this  lelter: 
Letterhead  of  Pittsburgh-Buffalo  Company. 

November  13,  1908.  To  all  Superintendents  and  Mine 
Foremen. 

Dear  Sirs:  It  is  now  the  time  of  the  year  when  the  at- 
mosphere becomes  very  dry,  due  to  the  cold  weather.  It  is 
necessary  for  you  to  take  great  precautions  to  see  that  you 
do  not  have  any  gas  in  any  of  your  working  places  or  on  any 
falls. 

2.  See  that  no  dust  is  allowed  to  accumulate  on  the 
rib,  roof  or  tracks,  which  might  be  ignited  by  a  small  ex- 
plosion of  gas  or  a  blownout  shot.     See  that  the  ribs,  roof 
and  bottom  are  well  watered  and  the  dust  ]oaded. 

3.  See  that  your  fire  bosses  visit  each  and  every  place 
each  and  every  day  after  they  have  made  their  regular 
rounds  in  the  morning,  to  see  that  the  miners  work  in  safety, 
and  that  there  is  no  loose  rock  or  slate  overhanging  to  in- 
jure the  men  at  work.     Each  mine  boss  and  fire  boss  in 
slate  and  rock  should  see  that  it  is  properly  supported  be- 
fore anyone  is  permitted  to  pass  under  it. 

4.  Make  it  your  duty  to  see  that  there  is  as  much  air 
goes  through  the  last  cut-through  on  the  entry  side  and 
around  the  face  of  the  workings  as  there  is  at  the  inlet. 

5.  Under  no    circumstances   take   any   chances    that 
would  result  in  loss  of  life  or  limb  to  any  of  our  employees, 
as  we  would  rather  lose  money  than  take  chances  of  injur- 
ing any  of  our  men.     I  would  be  the  proudest  man  in  Pitts- 
burgh if  at  the  end  of  each  year  our  company  can  show  a 
record  of  having  hurt  and  killed  less  men  than  any  other 
company  in  the  Pittsburgh  district.     If  there  is  anything 
which  you  go  up  against  which  you  find  you  cannot  imme- 
diately overcome,  and  which    might    become    dangerous, 
kindly  communicate  with  your  general  manager  and  the 
writer  at  once. 

DON'T  TAKE  ANY  CHANCES. 
With  kindest  regards  I  beg  to  remain, 

Yours  very  respectfully, 
J.  H.  J.  (Signed)      JOHN  H.  JONES. 


244  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

That  letter  was  dated  on  November  13,  and  was  sent 
out  to  all  the  superintendents  of  that  company,  which  is  the 
company  which  suffered  under  the  explosion.  What  I  want 
to  say  relative  to  this  is,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  accidents  will 
happen  in  the  best  regulated  mines.  There  may  be  pockets 
of  gas  that  are  unknown  and  may  be  encountered  and  sud- 
denly set  off,  as  has  been  done  in  this  case,  with  all  reason- 
able precautions  exercised.  The  cause  is  unknown  here 
at  present,  and  of  course  we  cannot  comment  on  it  now,  but 
here  is  a  case  where  every  precaution  known  to  the  science 
of  mining  or  to  the  art  of  mining  has  been  employed,  and 
yet  there  is  this  sad  accident.  There  are  accidents  which 
happen  in  every  department  of  manufacturing  and  of  min- 
ing here  and  elsewhere,  so  that  we  cannot  look  forward  to 
a  time  when  operations  will  not  be  accompanied  to  a  greater 
or  less  extent  by  accidents.  It  is  our  duty  to  minimize  the 
same,  even  to  the  hope  of  elimination,  realizing,  however, 
that  where  the  human  factor  is,  there  will  always  be  more 
or  less  liability  to  accidents,  and  that  perfection  is  nowhere 
experienced  or  obtained,  and  especially  where  ignorance 
or  carelessness  prevail. 

We  have  heard  something  about  the  price  of  ;coal  in 
relation  to  which  I  would  say  that  we  presented  to  the 
individual  operators  one  of  the  most  serious  problems,  Mr. 
Chairman,  that  is,  how  to  produce  coal  and  sell  it  at  a  lower 
price  than  the  "other  fellow." 

Who  is  responsible  for  that  condition?  It  is  the  con- 
sumer. Here  are  some  ladies,  tender-hearted  and  kind,  as 
many  are  in  this  country,  yet  when  they  go  shopping  they 
go  to  get  the  "best"  price  possible  for  their  dresses,  etc., 
and  they  do  not  look  beyond  the  sweathouses,  where  the 
women  and  children  have  been  working  sixteen  hours  a  day 
or  perhaps  longer,  under  miserable  circumstances,  and  get- 
ting a  miserable  pittance  (applause),  and  it  is  because  of 
the  demand  for  cheap  merchandise  and  getting  it  cheaper 
than  the  other  person,  so  as  to  get  a  little  advantage,  and 
be  enabled  to  go  into  the  market  and  "cut  under"  the  other 
person;  it  is  because  of  that  that  many  manufacturers  are 


PROBLEMS   OF   THE    COAL    INDUSTRY.  245 

tempted  to  spend  as  little  as  possible  in  the  production  of 
merchandise. 

This  illustrates  the  difficulty  in  every  business,  your 
dry  goods  stores,  your  tailor  shops,  and  everything  01  that 
kind,  and  the  demand  that  everybody  makes  to  procure  all 
grades  of  manufactures  just  as  cheaply  as  it  is  possible  to 
get  it,  without  going  behind  the  scenes  to  inquire  into  what 
sacrifice  of  time,  labor  and  comfort  is  made  by  the  persons 
engaged  in  the  production.  That  is  the  reason  that  so  many 
of  our  stores  will  sell  you  at  "fifty  per  cent  less,"  "twenty- 
five  per  cent  less,"  at  "75  cents  on  the  dollar,"  to  induce 
people  to  come  in  and  pay  for  an  inferior  article,  or  an 
article,  the  knowledge  of  the  manufacture  of  which  would 
horrify  the  tender-hearted  purchaser.  Now,  how  can  we 
remedy  that?  Mr.  Chairman,  if  you  can  do  that  you  are 
the  greatest  benefactor  that  ever  lived.  If  you  can  do  that 
you  will  have  a  fortune  both  of  philanthropy,  the  dispensa- 
tion of  which  will  bless  the  world,  but  is  not  reasonable  to 
expect  until  the  Millenium  comes,  and  not  until  the  ' '  Golden 
Rule"  is  acted  as  well  as  professed,  and  everyone  shall  do 
"unto  others  as  he  would  have  the  others  do  unto  him" — 
not  as  David  Harum  put  it,  "Do  unto  the  other  fellow  as 
the  other  fellow  would  do  unto  you,  only  you  do  it  fust." 
(Laughter.) 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  think  the  province  and  influence  of 
this  Congress  or  any  other  congress  that  wishes  to  promote* 
the  welfare  of  their  fellow-men  in  any  department,  is  bene- 
ficial, if  it  is  properly  filled  and  exercised.  And  as  you 
said  last  night,  the  aims  and  the  ambitions  and  the  efforts 
and  the  concentration  of  everything  you  do,  is  for  the  up- 
building of  this  Congress  on  the  line  of  beneficent  action 
towards  your  fellow-men  in  the  mining  industry  particu- 
larly. Mr.  Chairman,  we  accept  this  expression,  coming 
from  you,  as  the  motive  and  sentiment,  underlying  and  im- 
pelling your  action  and  so,  accepting,  we  acknowledge  our 
duty  toward  this  Congress.  It  occurs  to  me  in  a  practi- 
cal way  it  is  the  duty  of  every  man  who  has  been  invited 
here  as  a  delegate,  not  being  a  member,  to  give  your  name 
to  the  secretary  and  become  an  active,  as  well  as  a  partici- 


246  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

pating  member  of  this  Congress,  and  so  affiliate  yourselves 
with  these  men  who  are  trying  in  their  way  to  advance  the 
knowledge,  the  proper  application  of  which  will  surely  bless 
humanity.  They  come,  will  you  permit  me  to  say,  Mr. 
Chairman,  from  the  "West"  fresh  with  the  breezes  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  they  bring  a  good  deal  of  the  atmos- 
pheric tonic  and  exhale  it  amongst  us,  much  to  our  pleasure 
and  profit.  Mr.  Chairman,  have  you  noticed  that  when  the 
breezes  start  from  the  Eocky  Mountains,  charged  with  all 
the  vigor  and  ozone  of  the  Western  clime,  often  they  are 
modified  to  some  extent  when  they  reach  us  here;  they  are 
not  quite  so  strong  nor  so  vigorous!  Our  good  friends  have 
brought  the  breezes  of  the  West  here  into  this  Congress ;  the 
breezes  have  blown  a  little  stronger  than  some  of  us  would 
agree  as  being  best  for  our  conditions,  but  they  come  here 
and  we  help  to  modify  them  and  get  them  all  into  a  nice 
smooth  current,  which  will  be  beneficial  and  refreshing  all 
around.  And  it  ought  to  be  the  duty  of  this  Congress,  and  as 
I  suppose  it  is  its  aim,  to  so  advise  at  any  rate — I  was  going 
to  say  to  control — but  I  will  say  to  advise,  that  the  streams 
of  labor  and  streams  of  capital  shall  blend  in  one  united 
current — like  the  streams  of  the  Allegheny  and  the 
Monongahela  to  make  the  beautiful  Ohio,  and  carry 
the  commerce  down  to  the  Gulf — that  these  two 
streams  of  labor  and  capital  should  be  united  in 
Pittsburgh  and  the  confluence  form  a  diffusive  stream 
that  shall  go  on  to  the  ocean,  pleasing  to  everybody 
that  purchases  and  everybody  that  consumes  a  pound  of  our 
material.  This  is  the  province  of  this  convention  and  the 
province  of  the  mining  bureau,  and  we  feel  honored  and 
happy  that  they  will  blend  in  beneficent  action  in  prescrib- 
ing the  things  necessary  to  enlighten  us  in  the  performance 
of  that  duty  and  disseminate  it  through  our  land.  And  per- 
mit me  as  a  last  word  to  say  that  the  state  of  Pennsylvania 
through  its  mining  department  is  efficiently,  energeti- 
cally and  intelligently  through  its  commission  reforming  the 
mining  laws  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  so  as  to  procure 
the  best  results,  and  the  operators  are  in  harmony  with 
them  so  far  as  that  result  is  necessary.  (Applause.) 


Distribution  of  the  Nation's  Mineral  Wealth. 


BY   GEO.    OTIS   SMITH,    DIRECTOR  U.    S.    GEOLOGICAL   SURVEY, 
WASHINGTON,  D.   C. 

The  subject,  the  Distribution  of  the  Nation's  Mineral 
Wealth,  eminently  fits  both  the  place  and  the  occasion. 
The  city  of  Pittsburgh,  rightly  termed  "the  world's  indus- 
trial wonder,"  is  founded  on  the  mineral  resources  of  not 
only  Pennsylvania,  but  indeed  of  the  whole  country,  while 
you  members  of  the  American  Mining  Congress  represent 
the  industry  that  has  enabled  this  nation  to  realize  a  rich 
income  from  its  mineral  heritage.  Nor  is  it  inappropriate 
that  a  representative  of  the  United  States  Geological  Sur- 
vey should  bring  to  your  attention  facts  relating  to  the  dis- 
tribution of  this  mineral  wealth.  In  the  thirty  years  since 
its  organization  this  federal  bureau  has  recorded  the  devel- 
opment of  the  mineral  industry,  and  to  indicate  how  phe- 
nomenal has  been  this  development  I  need  only  cite  the  fact 
that  during  these  three  decades  the  mineral  production  of 
the  nation  has  increased  six-fold. 

Last  year,  at  the  Joplin  session  of  the  Mining  Congress, 
I  had  occasion  to  refer  to  the  probability  that  the  value  of 
the  mineral  output  for  1907  would  pass  the  two  billion  dol- 
lar mark.  The  statistics  since  collected  have  verified  that 
estimate,  showing  the  value  of  the  1907  mineral  production 
to  be  over  $2,069,000,000.  In  1879  Congress  expressed  its 
appreciation  of  the  importance  of  the  nation's  mineral 
wealth  by  establishing  a  scientific  bureau  charged  with  the 
investigation  of  these  resources,  and  now,  three  decades 
later,  the  mineral  industry,  making  as  it  does  an  annual 
contribution  to  the  nation  six-fold  greater,  truly  deserves 
further  recognition. 

We  should  not  leave  this  topic  of  the  thirty  years'  de- 
velopment without  mention  of  certain  notable  features  in 
the  growth  of  the  mineral  industry.  In  1880  the  non-me- 
tallic products  constituted  47  per  cent  of  the  total  mineral 
production  of  the  country;  in  1907  fully  57  per  cent.  This 


248  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

increase  in  relative  importance  of  the  non-metallic  products 
has  not  been  regular  inasmuch  as  metals  have  exhibited  a 
tendency  to  be  more  quickly  affected  by  general  business 
conditions,  with  the  result  that  for  the  year  1894,  for  in- 
stance, the  non-metallic  percentage  rose  to  65  per  cent  and 
again  in  1904  to  63  per  cent. 

The  pages  since  1880  can  also  be  studied  in  another 
manner  Then,  in  order  of  value  of  output,  coal  stood  first, 
with  iron  second,  followed  by  gold,  silver,  petroleum,  lime, 
building  stone,  copper,  lead  and  salt.  In  last  year's  pro- 
duction, after  coal  and  iron  came  copper,  clay  products,  pe- 
troleum, gold,  stone,  cement,  natural  gas  and  lead.  You 
will  note  that  in  this  column  of  the  ten  most  important  min- 
eral products,  coal,  iron,  petroleum  and  building  stone  have 
maintained  their  relative  positions  notwithstanding  the  six- 
fold total  increase.  Copper  has  advanced  from  eighth  to 
third  place  and  gold  has  dropped  from  third  position  to 
sixth,  lead  from  ninth  to  tenth,  and  silver  to  just  behind 
lead.  The  new  comers  in  the  1907  list  as  contrasted  with 
that  of  1880  are  clay  products,  cement  and  natural  gas. 

Production  statistics  are  the  pulse  of  the  nation's  ma- 
terial life  and  these  differences  in  relative  growth  are  sig- 
nificant symptoms  in  the  development  of  the  mineral  in- 
dustry, They  indicate  present  tendencies  in  the  utilization 
of  the  nation's  mineral  wealth,  and  indeed  the  relative  im- 
portance of  the  different  minerals,  considered  from  the  na- 
tional point  of  view,  which  is  that  of  industrial  growth. 

The  distribution  of  mineral  wealth  depends  on  geologic 
factors  and  different  geologic  provinces  are  characterized 
by  deposits  of  different  minerals.  Herein  lies  the  value  of 
much  of  purely  geologic  study.  Thus  an  important  part 
of  the  Survey 's  work'  through  these  years  has  been  to  keep 
the  country  informed  as  to  the  occurrence  of  economic  min- 
erals. Not  only  has  the  Survey  statistician  been  recording 
the  increasing  activity  of  mine,  furnace  and  smelter,  but  the 
Survey  geologist  has  been  mapping  and  measuring  the  na- 
tion's mineral  deposits  and  investigating  the  possibilities 
of  new  discoveries  of  the  mineral  fuels  and  ores.  In  the 
last  few  weeks  the  result  of  this  great  inventory  which  it 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  NATION'S  MINERAL  WEALTH.      249 

has  taken  years  to  make  has  been  brought  together  in  the 
report  submitted  to  the  National  Conservation  Commission, 
and  it  is  the  existence  of  these  quantitative  data  that  en- 
ables me  to  discuss  this  important  subject  at  all  adequately. 
The  facts  of  the  distribution  of  mineral  wealth  are  of 
practical  value  because  of  the  vital  connection  between  such 
geographic  distribution  and  the  development  of  manufac- 
tures and  commerce.  I  give  precedence  to  manufactures 
because  this  industry  rather  than  commerce  should  first 
feel  the  creative  influence  of  mineral  wealth.  The  metal- 
lurgical, clay-working,  structural  and  chemical  industries 
constitute  the  web  and  woof  of  industrial  prosperity  and  to 
a  large  degree  it  is  only  the  disregard  of  the  principles  of 
political  economy  that  permits  the  export  of  raw  material 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  state  or  nation.  Free  trade 
among  the  states  of  this  union  has  developed  great  inter- 
state and  internal  commerce  on  a  grand  scale,  but  this  phe- 
nomenal national  development  should  not  blind  the  people 
of  the  individual  states  to  the  advantage  of  local  utiliza- 
tion of  their  own  mineral  resources.  As  an  illustration  of 
this,  the  new  industrial  south  is  possible  because  the  south 
has  always  possessed  mineral  wealth.  With  these  southern 
states  mining  nearly  seven  per  cent  of  the  iron  ore  of  the 
United  States  and  over  21  per  cent  of  coal  it  is  simply 
obedience  to  natural  laws  that  the  southern  furnaces  should 
produce  ten  per  cent  of  the  pig  iron  of  the  country.  Eco- 
nomic laws  must  be  recognized  and  the  fact  of  distribution 
and  production — of  supply  and  consumption — must  be  in 
mind  before  we  can  at  all  comprehend  the  inter-relation  ex- 
isting between  all  branches  of  the  mineral  industry  to  plan 
intelligently  for  its  future  development. 

Let  me  cite  a  few  characteristics  of  the  distribution  of 
our  mineral  wealth:  In  the  first  place,  the  widespread  dis- 
tribution of  raw  materials  makes  possible  an  industrial 
nation  in  which  every  state  and  territory  has  some  share 
in  the  mineral  production.  Last  year  only  three  states  had 
a  mineral  output  valued  at  less  than  $1,000,000,  and  twelve 
states  had  a  production  valued  at  over  $50,000,000  each. 
Again,  no  state  or  section  appears  to  have  a  monopoly 


250  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

of  the  mineral  industry.  While  "progressive  Pennsyl- 
vania ' '  with  its  total  mineral  product  nearly  one-third  that 
of  the  whole  country,  leads  in  coal,  cement,  stone  and  na- 
tural gas  by  large  margins,  another  state,  Minnesota,  lead-- 
in iron  ore;  another,  Arizona,  in  copper;  another,  Ohio,  in 
clay  products;  Oklahoma  in  petroleum;  Colorado  in  both 
gold  ai.d  silver,  and  Missouri  in  both  lead  and  zinc.  Fur- 
thermore, these  centers  of  production  are  ever  shifting. 

For  instance,  in  1900  the  primacy  in  quantity  of  petro- 
leum produced  passed  from  Ohio  to  California,  thence  to 
Oklahoma;  and  within  a  year  Montana  in  copper  production 
has  given  place  to  Arizona;  in  lead,  Idaho  to  Missouri,  and 
in  silver,  Montana  to  Colorado.  It  is  evident  that  we  can- 
not prophesy  future  progress  of  the  industry  unless  we 
can  determine  the  centers  of  the  mineral  reserves,  for  it 
will  be  toward  these  centers  that  the  industry  will  trend. 


Science  as  the  Basis  of  Commercial  Success. 


BY  HON.   JOSEPH  BUFFINGTON,  UNITED   STATES   CIRCUIT  JUDGE, 
PITTSBURGH,   PA. 

lam  obliged  to  the  chairman  for  interrupting  the  pro- 
gram of  the  evening  and  giving  me  the  opportunity  to  say  a 
few  words  to  you  tonight.  If  he  will  excuse  me  I  will  re- 
main here  on  the  floor  instead  of  taking  the  platform.  I 
should  be  false  to  my  feelings  tonight  if  I  did  not  say  that 
it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  be  present.  I  stopped  my  work 
down  at  the  court  of  appeals  in  Philadelphia  in  order  to 
come  here,  because  I  had  such  an  intense  interest  in  the 
movement  which  has  culminated  in  turning  the  old  arsenal 
of  war  into  a  home  of  science,  that  I  feel  today  is  not  only 
a  red  letter  day  for  humanity  and  Pittsburgh  locally,  but 
that  it  is  also  an  epoch  day  for  our  government,  one  of  sig- 
nal significance  in  the  development  of  the  future  of  our 
country.  I  have  long  felt  that  the  civilized  nations  of  the 
world  were  stripping  to  the  waist  for  a  great  commercial 
struggle,  and  I  have  feared  that  in  this  great  country  of 
ours,  owing  to  its  very  greatness  and  its  division  into  many 
states,  that  what  was  everybody's  business  was  nobody's 
duty;  and  that  dear  old  Uncle  Sam  and  these  states  of  ours 
were  losing  sight  of  the  strategic  vantage  points  in  that 
titanic  commercial  struggle.  And  that  strategic  base  to  my 
view  is  in  the  turning  of  the  minds  of  the  scientific  men  of 
this  coantry  from  pure  science  to  applied  science  and  in  the 
nation's  taking  advantage  of  this  applied  scientific  know- 
ledge, and  what  commercially  flows  therefrom,  as  the  great 
dynamic  force  which  shall  lead  us  to  the  heights  of  interna- 
tional commercial  supremacy.  Germany  has  grasped  and 
gripped  this  fact.  Her  astounding  commercial  growth  to- 
day is  not  the  result  of  chance,  not  the  fortuitous  develop- 
ment of  commerce  or  the  work  of  individual  men,  but  it  is 
the  outcome  of  resultant  result  from  causing  cause.  It  is 
because  the  great  minds  that  were  building  the  greatness 
of  Greater  Germany  a  generation  ago  grasped  the  signifi- 


252  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

cance  of  the  laboratory,  the  chemist,  of  pure  science  in  the 
ultimate  outcome  of  applied  science.  These  great  minds 
unified,  centralized  and  localized  this  great  economic-scien- 
tific policy  into  German  scientific  and  commercial  life  and 
hand  in  hand  the  twin  sisters— laboratory  and  factory- 
knowledge  and  practice — the  head  of  science  and  the  hand 
of  toil,  have  led  Germany  in  half  a  generation  to  the  fore- 
front of  commercial  development.  In  that  time,  for  ex- 
ample, Germany  had  quietly  had  at  work  a  great  central 
governmental  institute  of  testing  material,  of  fuel  econom- 
ics, of  analyses,  combination  and  quantities,  where  the  great 
underlying  questions  of  manufacturing  have  been  intelli- 
gently and  scientifically  studied  out.  From  this  foresight 
she  is  reaping  today  the  rich  first-fruits  in  an  aggressive, 
surging  commercial  advance  that  is  at  once  a  lesson  and  a 
warning  to  her  sister  nations.  Today  she  is  a  generation 
ahead  of  us  in  this  march  of  scientific  forethought.  She  is 
reaping  harvest  where  we  are  just  beginning  to  plow  our 
fields.  Seeing  which,  I  for  one  am  deeply  interested  in 
this  work  which  you  have  seen  officially  installed  here  to- 
day. This  work  which  you  have  been  privileged  today  to 
see  begun;  the  starting  of  these  testing  places,  these  places 
looking  to  the  conservation  of  material,  these  bringings  of 
the  theoretical  chemistry  of  the  past  into  the  practical  work 
of  the  present  have  immensely  to  do  with  the  commercial 
future  of  the  country.  And  I  feel,  gentlemen,  and  we  of 
Pittsburgh  feel,  glad  that  this  work  has  taken  but  a  tenta- 
tive form  here,  because  we  feel  that  the  development  from 
this  day  forward  will  be  such  that  in  a  few  years  we  will 
wondei  that  some  former  generation  had  not  begun  it.  We 
do  not  want  to  look  on  it  as  an  enterprise  merely  for  the 
benefit  of  this  community.  It  has  a  far  wider  range  and 
deeper  significance.  The  mere  accident  of  its  location  is 
one  of  locality  because  we  realize  there  is  no  place  save 
Pittsburgh  on  the  map  of  the  United  States  which  is  at  once 
within  a  night's  ride  of  the  city  of  Washington  and  also 
within  a  night's  ride  of  so  many  sister  cities. 

I  have  every  faith,  as  this  work  goes  on  and  develops, 
that  the  co-relation  of  other  things,  other  industries,  other 


SCIENCE  AS  THE  BASIS  OF  COMMERCIAL  SUCCESS.        253 

sources  or  means  of  scientific  development  will  bring  other 
scientific  branches  of  the  government  to  this  point  where 
they  may  be  concentrated,  and  where  we  can  as  a  whole 
country  get  the  advantage  which  Germany  is  now  getting, 
from  her  scientific  station  at  Charlottenburg. 

With  these  few  thoughts  in  mind,  I  feel  tonight  that  we 
are  on  the  eve  of  a  great  movement  in  this  country  and  we 
have  been  participating  today  in  that  which  is  pregnant 
with  a  great  future.  I  want  to  add  my  conviction  of  the 
substantial  value  of  this  together-coming  of  practical, 
strong,  level-headed  men  in  such  a  gathering  as  this  Mining 
Congress.  The  mining  man  who  fails  to  come  to  such 
gathering  loses  tremendously  to  my  mind  in  the  develop- 
ment of  himself  and  his  work.  I  attended  your  sessions 
this  morning  and  I  was  struck  not  only  with  this  thought, 
but  (after  Dr.  Holmes  called  for  volunteers  to  speak)  of 
the  suggestions  that  a  convention  of  this  kind  must  bring 
to  the  men  who  are  engaged  in  purely  scientific  work. 
Think  of  these  lamentable  accidents,  the  terrible  catastro- 
phes in  the  coal  mining  industry!  What  a  flood  of  thought 
was  brought  out  to  the  scientists  by  the  simple  statements 
of  operators  as  to  the  variations  in  the  atmosphere  and  the 
humidity  of  such  atmosphere,  and  the  proneness  of  those 
accidents  to  occur  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year.  I  am  no 
prophet,  and  I  am  not  a  scientist,  but  I  venture  to  say  that 
this  suggestion  of  the  relation  of  the  humidity  and  condi- 
tions of  the  atmosphere  to  these  explosions  will  be  taken  up 
by  these  scientific  men  of  the  government,  by  the  schools 
of  mines  by  scientists  everywhere,  and  worked  out  to  some 
solution  that  will  lead  us  to  see  the  connection  between  the 
cause  cind  the  effect.  I  was  struck  with  the  fact  of  the 
open  lamp  as  a  cause  of  these  disasters,  and  I  said  in  my 
own  homely  way,  if  the  open  lamp  is  one  of  the  causes  of 
these  disasters,  these  scientific  men  will  get  at  the  root  of 
this  thing,  for  true  science  always  goes  to  bed-rock  fact — 
and  they  will  see  that  the  use  of  the  open  lamp  comes  from 
that  quality  of  human  nature  which  leads  the  miner  to  dis- 
regard danger  in  use  of  the  open  lamp  because  he  gets  more 
light  from  the  open  than  he  does  from  the  closed  lamp.  It 


254  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

is  natural,  therefore,  for  him  to  want  to  use  it,  and  he  will 
use  it  because  by  its  light  he  will  get  out  more  coal.  And 
the  way  to  stop  him  from  using  it  is  not  by  legislation,  but 
by  removing  the  cause  which  causes  him  to  use  it.  How 
shall  this  be  done?  Why,  this  body  of  scientists  will  get 
down  deep  and  they  will  say  that  if  there  is  any  cause  that 
leads  the  miner  to  use  the  open  lamp,  the  way  to  beat  that 
is  to  produce  a  closed  lamp  that  will  be  so  much  better 
than  the  open  lamp  that  the  temptation  to  use  the  latter 
will  be  taken  away.  (Applause.) 

Mr  Chairman,  the  experience  I  have  had  with  scientific 
men  in  the  disposition  of  patent  cases  for  a  great  many  years 
has  lea  me  to  the  profound  conviction  that  science  is  at  the 
bottom  of  commercial  success.  I  feel  that  this  convention 
should  take  this  thought  home  with  it,  and  hammer  home  to 
their  members  of  Congress  and  Senate  the  necessity  of  sus- 
taining these  men  of  science  by  liberal  appropriations  to 
carry  on  the  great  scientific  work  of  this  nation.  (Ap- 
plause.) If  the  news  goes  out  from  this  convention,  as  I 
believe  it  will,  to  our  representatives  and  our  senators  that 
these  men  are  not  carrying  on  something  high  up  in  the  air 
in  the  way  of  scientific  theoretical  investigations,  but  are 
coming  down  to  practical  questions  of  modern  industrial 
life,  it  will  do  much  to  aid  the  development  that  has  been 
started  here  today. 

I  thank  you,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  for  your  kind  at- 
tention. (Applause.) 


The  Duties  of  the  Federal  and  State  Governments  in  Rela- 
tion to  the  Mining  Industry. 

BY    CONGRESSMAN    W.    F.    ENGLEBRIGHT,    OF    CALIFORNIA. 

Mr.  President,  Delegates  and  Members  of  the  American 
Mining  Congress:  I  was  not  aware  that  I  had  been  placed 
on  the  program  to  address  this  meeting  till  I  arrived  here 
yesterday  afternoon.  I  came  here  for  the  purpose  of  learn- 
ing all  I  could  about  the  great  mining  industry  in  these 
portions  of  the  United  States  with  which  I  am  not  ac- 
quainted. I  came  here  for  the  purpose  not  of  talking  my- 
self, but  to  hear  what  you  had  to  say;  to  get  your  ideas, 
and  so  far  as  I  could  to  learn  your  wishes.  Coming  from 
the  mining  districts  of  California,  it  is  certainly  a  pleasure 
to  me  to  be  with  you  and  to  see  such  a  great  interest  being 
taken  in  this  American  Mining  Congress.  Its  sessions  are 
of  great  importance.  Your  deliberations  are  of  great  inter- 
est to  the  mining  world,  and  the  result  of  your  delibera- 
tions is  going  to  carry  great  weight  in  Congress  and  in  the 
legislative  halls  of  the  different  states.  As  a  representative 
in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  I  assure  you  that  I 
will  place  great  weight  upon  your  recommendations,  and 
shall  work  in  and  out  of  Congress  to  help  carry  them  out, 
and  to  do  those  things  which  you  suggest  are  for  the  good 
of  the  great  mining  industry  and  which  will  help  to  pro- 
tect the  health  and  lives  of  our  miners. 

About  a  year  ago  I  was  in  San  Francisco  to  attend  a 
banquet  given  by  the  San  Francisco  Chamber  of  Commerce 
to  the  congressional  delegation  of  California.  At  that  time 
matters  in  the  United  States  so  far  as  finance  was  con- 
cerned were  a  little  mixed.  The  fact  was  the  country  had 
gotten  considerable  of  a  jolt,  and  it  was  a  pretty  important 
subject  of  discussion  at  that  time.  Naturally  at  that  ban- 
quet finance  was  the  leading  subject  of  discussion,  especi- 
ally as  there  were  present  a  number  of  prominent  financiers 
of  the  nation.  All  of  them  were  called  upon  for  remarks, 
and  they  expressed  themselves  very  freely,  and  some  of 


256  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

them  went  into  the  details  of  various  theories  and  propo- 
sitions that  would  help  out  the  financial  situation. 

After  a  while  they  called  upon  me.  I  told  them,  that 
coming  from  away  up  in  the  mountains  in  the  gold  mining 
section,  the  financial  situation  did  not  bother  us,  that  our 
mines  had  been  continually  running,  that  our  miners  were 
at  work,  that  they  were  being  paid,  that  none  of  our  banks 
had  failed,  and  that  I  had  not  given  the  subject  of  finance 
any  particular  study,  but  I  thought  it  was  a  good  time  to 
call  their  attention  to  one  fact,  and  that  was  that  while 
they  were  busy  figuring  how  the  best  way  was  to  get  more 
green-backs  issued,  to  issue  clearing-house  certificates  and 
all  that,  the  miners  of  my  state  had  been  hard  at  work  all 
the  time,  and  had  been  sending  right  into  San  Francisco 
$2,000,000  a  month  in  gold;  that  I  thought  that  was  a  sort 
of  a  practical  way  to  help  our  their  finances,  and  that  I  was 
sure  that  they  had  turned  that  gold  over  and  over  again 
many  times,  and  that  it  had  materially  helped  them  out. 
While  the  miners  of  my  district  were  doing  that  the  other 
gold  mines  throughout  the  United  States  were  all  at  work, 
and  last  year  the  gold  mines  of  the  United  States  produced 
almost  $100,000,000.  Now  I  think  that  that  hundred  mil- 
lion dollars  in  gold  was  a  very  material  factor  in  assisting 
m  straightening  out  the  financial  difficulties  of  the  Unitf  0 
States.  Our  other  mining  industries,  lead,  zinc,  copper,  all 
have  been  productive  during  the  past  year.  Our  iron  mines 
have  produced  large  amounts  of  iron,  and  the  great  coal 
mining  industry  has  added  its  wealth  to  the  United  States, 
so  that  last  year  the  mining  industry,  the  metallic  and  the 
non-metallic  industries,  produced  over  $2,000,000,000  in  the 
United  States.  Such  an  industry  is  certainly  worthy  of  the 
fostering  care  of  the  United  States  Government.  And  I 
as  a  representative  in  Congress  believe  every  effort  should 
be  made  at  all  times  to  do  what  we  can  to  brace  up  this  in- 
dustry the  same  as  other  industries  are  being  taken  care  of. 

Yesterday  we  had  the  opportunity  of  witnessing  the 
formal  opening  of  the  testing  plant  in  this  city,  which  will 
take  up  the  various  problems  in  connection  with  the  loss  of 
life  in  our  coal  mines.  As  I  saw  the  plant  there,  and  saw 


DUTIES  OF  GOVERNMENT  TO  MINING  INDUSTRY.  257 

the  work  that  was  being  done,  I  felt  satisfied  that  the  money 
that  is  being  expended  there  is  being  expended  for  a  good 
purpose,  and  it  will  undoubtedly  result  in  great  good  in 
helping  out  the  mine  owners  and  in  saving  the  lives  of  the 
miners.  This  work  has  been  started  on  an  appropriation 
that  was  made  last  winter  by  Congress. 

But  I  want  to  call  to  your  attention  that  it  is  only  a  spe- 
cial appropriation;  that  there  is  nothing  regular  about  it; 
that  at  the  present  time  there  is  no  law  providing  for  such 
an  appropriation.  It  was  tried  very  hard  to  get  this  appro- 
priation inserted  as  an  amendment  in  the  Appropriation 
Bill  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  but  by  reason  of  there 
being  no  law  to  provide  for  it,  it  was  subject  to  a  point  of 
order  and  was  not  inserted  in  the  bill.  The  amendment 
would  not  stick.  It  was  only  by  the  courtesy  of  the  United 
States  Senate,  who  can  do  things  if  they  want  to,  that  they 
inserted  in  the  Legislative  Appropriation  bill  this  item,  so 
that  it  came  back  to  the  House  of  Representatives  as  an 
amendment,  and  was  not  then  subject  to  a  point  of  order. 
It  had  many  friends  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  and 
by  reason  of  their  friendship  the  amendment  became  a  law. 
This  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  we1  are  anxious  to  have  the 
Mining  Bureau  bill  passed,  which  will  give  a  proper  foun- 
dation not  only  for  appropriations  for  this  work,  but  for 
other  work  for  the  good  of  the  great  mining  industry  and 
for  all  parts  of  it. 

We  need  a  proper  law  upon  which  legislative  action 
can  be  had.  We  need  a  proper  department  that  can  take 
up  any  and  all  subjects  for  the  good  of  mining,  that  will  fur- 
nish all  the  proper  information  upon  which  to  base  proper 
legislation,  not  only  in  Congress,  but  by  the  various  state 
legislatures.  I  assure  you  that  in  all  matters  we  expect  the 
American  Mining  Congress  to  take  up  these  various  sub- 
jects, to  consider  them  carefully,  to  consider  them  in  detail, 
make  their  recommendations  on  a  conservative  basis  so  that 
your  representatives  in  Congress  and  in  other  places  can 
take  up  your  work,  and  follow  it  to  a  successful  conclusion. 

I  thank  you.     (Applause.) 


Alaska  and  Its  Mineral  Resources. 


BY  ALFRED  H.  BROOKS,  U.  S.  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY. 

Geography. 

Three  years  ago  I  had  the  honor  of  addressing  this 
Congress  on  the  subject  of  Alaska  mines.  At  that  time  the 
value  of  the  annual  mineral  production  was  $16,500,000.  In 
1907  the  value  of  the  total  mineral  output  was  nearly  $21,- 
000,000.  In  this  fact  may  lie  a  justification  for  again  call- 
ing your  attention  to  the  mineral  wealth  of  this  northern 
field. 

Many  have  difficulty  in  appreciating  the  size  and  ex- 
tent of  Alaska,  which  includes  586,400  square  miles,  or  one- 
fifth  the  area  of  the  United  States.  Its  east  and  west  width 
is  as  great  as  the  distance  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific, 
and  its  most  northerly  and  southerly  points  are  as  far 
apart  as  the  Mexican  and  Canadian  boundaries.  It  can, 
therefore,  have  no  great  uniformity  of  climate,  physical 
features,  or  resources.  These  are,  in  fact,  as  varied  as 
those  of  the  United  States. 

Its  southernmost  point  lies  in  about  latitude  51  degrees 
30  minutes,  that  is,  almost  the  same  parallel  as  Copenhagen 
in  Denmark,  while  Juneau,  the  capital,  is  in  about  the  lati- 
tude of  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  Alaska  stretches  northward 
through  27  degrees  of  latitude,  and  Point  Barrow,  its  most 
northerly  cape,  is  but  little  nearer  the  pole  than  North 
Cape,  the  northernmost  point  of  Europe.  To  consider  the 
longitude,  the  meridian  of  the  westernmost  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands  passes  near  the  New  Hebrides  and  through  New 
Zealand.  The  territory  and  its  islands  in  their  extreme 
width  include  54  degrees  of  longitude.  A  person  traveling 
from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  most  westerly  island  of  the 
Aleutian  chain  has  accomplished  less  than  half  the  journey, 
measured  in  an  east  and  west  direction,  when  he  reaches 
the  Pacific  seaboard. 


ALASKA  AND  ITS  MINERAL  RESOURCES.  25& 

Alaska,  the  largest  outlying  possession  of  the  United 
States,  is  that  great  land  mass  which  is  thrust  out  toward 
Asia  from  the  northwestern  part  of  the  American  conti- 
nent. Its  main  mass,  a  peninsula  nearly  rectangular  in 
outline,  is  cut  off  from  the  continent  by  Mackenzie  Bay  on 
the  north  and  the  Gulf  of  Alaska  on  the  south.  South  of 
it  lies  the  Pacific  Ocean.  On  the  west  it  is  bounded  by 
Bering  Sea  and  Bering  Strait,  and  west  and  north  by  the 
Arctic  Ocean. 

The  geography  of  Alaska  can  perhaps  best  be  under- 
stood by  comparing  it  with  that  of  the  western  United 
States  and  Canada,  which  is  better  known.  A  broad  moun- 
tain belt,  including  the  coast  ranges  of  California,  Oregon 
and  Washington,  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Cascade,  and  con- 
tinued northward  into  western  Canada  by  other  ranges, 
constitutes  the  Cordillera,  termed  the  Pacific  mountain 
system.  Inland  of  the  Pacific  mountain  system  is  a  pro- 
vince of  lesser  relief — the  so-called  Great  Basin  or  Plateau 
region,  which  also  finds  its  counterpart  in  Canada.  This 
province  is  marked  on  the  east  by  the  Eocky  Mountains, 
which  again,  like  the  western  Pacific  mountains,  extend 
into  Canada.  To  the  east  of  these  the  Great  Plains  extend 
northward  to  the  Arctic  waters.  These  four  topographic 
provinces  of  the  United  States,  which  are  fairly  well  de- 
fined throughout  western  Canada,  find  a  continuation  and 
similar  geographic  features  in  Alaska. 

You  will  note  that  the  coastal  parts  of  the  territory  are 
occupied  by  a  broad  mountain  belt  made  up  of  a  number 
of  different  ranges.  Inland  lies  the  plateau  region,  and 
north  of  this  is  the  Eocky  Mountain  system.  This  latter 
Cordillera  is  separated  from  the  Arctic  Ocean  by  a  broad 
region  of  low  relief. 

These  larger  geographic  features  have  an  important 
influence  on  commercial  advancement,  for  they  dominate 
the  routes  of  approach.  You  will  please  note  that  a  series  of 
mountain  ranges  cuts  off  the  inland  portions  of  Alaska  from 
the  Pacific  seaboard.  This  central  region  is  one  of  compar- 
atively low  relief  and  opens  out  to  Bering  Sea,  into  which 
it  drains.  But  this  sea  is  locked  in  the  ice  for  seven  months 


260  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

in  the  year.  Hence  the  inland  province  can  only  be  reached 
with  railways  from  waters,  navigable  throughout  the  year, 
by  finding  a  route  of  approach  through  the  coastal  barrier. 

These  coastal  mountains  include  many  high  peaks  of 
which  St.  Elias,  18,090  feet  in  altitude,  is  one  of  the  highest. 
Inland  of  the  St.  Elias  Eange  is  an  irregular  group  of  vol- 
canic peaks  embracing  mountains  from  10,000  to  16,000  feet 
in  altitude. 

The  Alaska  Range,  forming  the  inland  member  of  the 
Pacific  mountain  system,  includes  the  highest  peak  of  the 
North  American  continent,  Mount  McKinley,  20,300  feet 
in  height,  is  a  great  dome  of  granite,  whose  summit  stands 
over  10,000  feet  above  the  crest  line  of  the  adjacent  range. 

The  Eocky  Mountains  of  Alaska  fall  off  by  a  sharp  de- 
clivity to  a  broad  plateau  sloping  toward  the  Arctic  Ocean. 
This  plateau  in  turn  slopes  off  to  the  bleak  Arctic  plain 
forming  a  part  of  the  great  tundra  belt  which  encircles  the 
Polar  Sea. 

Mineral  Resources. 

The  gold  deposits  of  Alaska  are  for  the  most  part  asso- 
ciated with  belts  of  altered  sediments,  classed  as  metamor- 
phic  rocks.  The  one  skirts  the  coast  of  Southeast- 
ern Alaska  and,  trending  to  the  northwestward,  finds 
its  continuation  in  the  Prince  William  Sound  and 
Kenai  Peninsula  regions.  This  is  the  locus  of  most 
of  the  present  auriferous  lode  mining.  A  second  belt 
of  metamorphic  rocks  lies  in  the  central  portion 
and  embraces  a  broad  area  lying  between  the  Tanana 
and  the  Yukon  rivers.  Within  this  belt  are  the  most  valu- 
able of  the  Alaskan  placer  deposits.  A  third  belt  of  meta- 
morphic rocks  occurs  in  the  northern  part  of  Alaska,  and 
its  continuation  is  found  in  the  Seward  Peninsula,  where  it 
includes  some  important  placer  districts.  Over  ninety- 
seven  per  cent,  of  the  value  of  Alaska's  mineral  production 
has  come  from  these  three  belts  of  metamorphic  rocks. 
But  they  are  by  no  means  the  only  centers  of  possible  min- 
ing of  the  future. 


ALASKA  AND  ITS  MINERAL  RESOURCES.  261 

I  would  also  call  your  attention  to  the  belt  of  intrusives 
which  forms  the  Coast  Eange  of  Southeastern  Alaska  and 
is  continued  by  broken  areas  of  igneous  rock  which  occur 
in  other  parts  of  the  territory.  In  Southeastern  Alaska 
the  contact  of  these  intrusives  has  been  found  to  be  zones 
of  mineralization,  and  the  same  probably  holds  true  in  other 
parts  of  the  territory.  This  being  the  case,  the  distribu- 
tion of  these  igneous  intrusives  becomes  an  important  com- 
mercial feature. 

The  most  important  centers  of  placer  mining  are  the 
Yukon-Tanana  region  and  the  Seward  Peninsula.  These 
two  provinces  now  have  an  annual  production  of  from  four- 
teen to  sixteen  million  dollars  in  value.  At  the  western  end 
of  the  Seward  Peninsula  there  are  also  some  tin  deposits 
which  have  made  a  small  output.  The  developed  gold  and 
silver  lodes  are  confined,  for  the  most  part,  to  Southeastern 
Alaska  and  will  be  discussed  in  somewhat  greater  detail 
further  on.  The  productive  copper  deposits  are  confined 
to  two  districts;  the  one  lies  in  Southeastern  Alaska  and 
embraces  the  central  portion  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island; 
the  other  on  Prince  William  Sound,  500  miles  to  the  north- 
west. There  is  also  a  copper  belt  on  the  southern  slope  of 
the  Wrangell  Mountains,  where  considerable  prospecting 
has  been  done  and  one  large  deposit  has  been  opene.d  up; 
and  a  second  belt,  which  follows  the  northern  slope  of  the 
Wrangell  Mountains,  where  many  prospects  have  been 
found.  Some  copper  and  gold-bearing  lodes  occur  in  other 
parts  of  Alaska,  but  cannot  be  considered  here. 

In  1907  Alaska  produced  upwards  of  five  million 
pounds  of  copper. 

In  Southeastern  Alaska  a  heavy  forest  will  furnish  the 
miner  with  timber.  The  relief  is  bold,  so  that  the  lodes 
can  usually  be  reached  by  tunneling,  and  no  hoisting  of  ore 
is  required.  The  ore  is  carried  to  tidewater  by  gravity 
trams,  and  the  coast  line  is  such  that  there  are  excellent 
harbors.  This  district  can  be  reached  by  a  two-day  steam- 
boat trip  from  Seattle  and  has  the  advantage  of  ocean 
freight  rates.  It  is,  par  excellence,  probably  one  of  the 
best  fields  in  the  world  for  cheap  exploitation. 


262  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

The  Treadwell  mines,  the  fourth  in  size  in  the  world, 
need  no  introduction  to  a  mining  audience.  They  are  lo- 
cated, as  you  know,  on  an  island  opposite  the  town  of 
Juneau  and  have  the  benefit  of  all  the  features  that  have 
been  mentioned,  which  makes  for  low  cost  of  production. 
In  fact,  the  exploitation  of  the  Treadwell  ore  body,  with  its 
low  values,  has  been  an  object  lesson  for  the  mining  world, 
The  aggregate  output  of  this  group  of  mines  is  valued  at 
thirty-five  million  dollars,  and  the  annual  production  is  now 
about  three  million  dollars.  The  magnitude  of  this  enter- 
prise, with  its  900  stamp  mill,  has  served  to  obscure  the 
fact  that  there  are  other  extensive  mining  operations  in  the 
adjacent  area  of  the  Juneau  district. 

The  Copper  River  region  has  been  a  focal  point  of  in- 
terest in  Alaska  for  the  last  three  years,  largely  because 
of  the  plans  for  reaching  it  by  rail  from  Pacific  tidewater. 
The  ores,  which  are  sulphides  along  with  some  native  cop- 
per, occur  at  and  along  the  contact  of  the  so-called  Nikolai 
greenstone,  an  igneous  rock,  and  the  Chitistone  limestone. 

Alaska  first  began  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  whole 
world  when  the  famous  Klondike  gold  fields  were  discov- 
ered in  1896.  At  that  time  the  inland  portions  of  the  ter- 
ritory were  producing  less  than  a  million  dollars  in  gold, 
and  all  the  mining  operations  were  of  a  distinctly  frontier 
type,  of  a  very  primitive  character.  This  field  now  pro- 
duces about  ten  million  dollars'  worth  of  gold  annually. 
The  Klondike,  which  is,  of  course,  in  Canadian  territory, 
represents  the  eastern  extension  of  this  belt.  An  interest- 
ing feature  of  this  section  is  the  wide  distribution  of  the 
auriferous  deposits.  Beginning  at  Fortymile  to  the  east, 
we  find  indications  of  auriferous  gravel  throughout  a  belt 
250  miles  long  by  75  miles  wide,  including  the  Birch 
Creek,  Fairbanks,  and  Eampart  districts.  Though  this 
district  now  supports  a  population  of  seven  to  eight  thou- 
sand people,  only  a  small  part  of  it  has  been  carefully  pros- 
pected, and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  other  dis- 
coveries of  auriferous  gravels  will  be  made. 

The  Fairbanks  district  is,  from  the  standpoint  of  pro- 
duction, by  far  the  most  important  of  the  inland  districts, 


ALASKA  AND  ITS  MINERAL  RESOURCES.  263 

its  annual  output  being  now  between  eight  and  nine  million 
dollars  in  value.  In  this  field  the  gold  gravels  lie  at  con- 
siderable depth,  varying  from  20  to  300  feet,  and  most  of 
the  mining  is  done  by  underground  methods. 

The  Seward  Peninsula,  which  forms  the  western  pro- 
jection of  Alaska,  has  produced  in  the  aggregate  forty 
million  dollars'  worth  of  gold  since  the  first  discovery  in 
1898,  and  is  now  the  scene  of  many  important  mining  enter- 
prises. You  will  note  that  lode  deposits,  including  gold, 
copper,  antimony,  and  galena,  have  been  discovered  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  peninsula,  and,  among  the  non-metallifer- 
ous deposits,  we  have  both  graphite  and  coal.  Only  one 
auriferous  lode  thus  far  has  been  on  a  productive  basis, 
though  some  work  has  been  done  on  others.  On  the  whole, 
the  outlook  is  favorable  for  the  development  of  the  lode 
mining  industry  in  this  field.  The  western  end  of  the  pen- 
insula is  the  tin-bearing  district,  where  both  lode  and 
stream  tin  deposits  have  been  exploited,  though  the  pro- 
duction has  as  yet  been  small. 

The  general  distribution  of  Alaska  coal-bearing  rocks 
has  already  been  discussed,  but  I  desire  to  lay  particular 
emphasis  on  two  of  the  most  important  coal  fields,  at  least, 
the  two  that  are  most  important  from  the  standpoint  of 
early  exploitation.  Both  of  these  are  tributary  to  the 
Pacific  seaboard,  which  is  open  to  navigation  throughout 
the  year.  The  one,  known  as  the  Bering  River  o?  Con- 
troller Bay  coal  field,  lies  within  25  miles  of  tidewater,  in 
the  central  part  of  Alaska.  The  other,  which  is  the  Mat- 
anuska  field,  lies  about  30  miles  northeast  of  the  head  of 
Cook  Inlet,  but  about  200  miles  distant  from  a  port  open 
throughout  the  year.  The  Controller  Bay  coal  field  em- 
braces about  45  square  miles  known  to  be  underlaid  by 
workable  coal  seams,  includes  three  grades  of  coal,  namely, 
anthracite,  semi-anthracite,  and  semi-bituminous,  and  in- 
cludes good  coking  coals.  The  workable  beds  vary  from 
6  to  20  feet  in  thickness.  The  high  grade  of  this  coal, 
whose  fixed  carbon  varies  from  72  to  81  per  cent.,  will  make 
them  an  important  source  of  fuel  for  the  western  coast.  It 
should  be  noted  also  that  thev  lie  close  to  the  locus  of  a 


2'64  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

railway  which  is  under  construction  to  the  copper  deposits, 
already  described.  They  will,  therefore,  undoubtedly  fur- 
nish a  supply  of  coke  for  important  smelting  operations 
in  this  part  of  the  territory. 

The  relief  in  this  coal  field  is  strong;  the  drainage  chan- 
nels are  sharply  cut,  'and  much  of  the  coal  lies  500  to  2,000 
feet  above  the  present  water  courses.  This  will  render  the 
coal  readily  accessible  and  decrease  the  cost  of  exploitation. 

Though  these  coal  fields  lie  only  about  25  miles  from 
the  coast,  yet  the  Pacific  seaboard  at  this  point  offers  no 
good  harbors.  Plans  are  on  foot,  however,  for  the  con- 
struction of  breakwaters  near  Katalla,  which  will  give  ade- 
quate shelter  for  vessels.  It  is  proposed  to  connect  these 
breakwaters  by  a  railroad  with  coal  field. 

Another  plan  for  reaching  these  coals  by  railway  is  to 
construct  a  line  from  Cordova  Bay,  the  eastern  arm  of 
Prince  William  Sound.  This  construction  would  require 
about  100  miles  of  track,  and  the  coastal  terminal  of  the 
railway  would  be  on  a  good  harbor.  This  railway  is  now 
being  built  as  a  part  of  the  line  which  is  to  go  up  the  Cop- 
per river. 

The  Matanuska  coal  field  embraces  an  area  lying  with- 
in the  drainage  basin  of  the  Matanuska  and  .its  tributary 
to  Cook  Inlet.  The  known  coal-bearing  area  is  about  equal 
to  that  of  Controller  Bay,  though  the  coal  field  itself  is 
probably  considerably  larger.  The  Matanuska  contains  a 
large  amount  of  high-grade  bituminous  coal  and  some  an- 
thracite. The  rocks  are  folded  and  faulted.  As  the  head 
of  Cook  Inlet  is  closed  for  five  months  of  the  year,  it  is 
necessary  to  find  an  outlet  for  this  coal  field  on  the  outer 
side  of  Kenai  Peninsula.  The  port  Resurrection  Bay  has 
been  chosen,  and  from  this  point  a  railway  is  under  con- 
struction to  the  coal  fields,  a  distance  of  abut  200  miles. 
Something  over  50  or  60  miles  of  the  road  has  been  com- 
pleted. 

The  fuel  of  these  two  coal  fields  compares  with  our 
best  eastern  coals  and  will  form  an  important  source  of  fuel 
for  the  western  seaboard.  It  is  higher  in  fuel  value  than 
anv  coal  west  of  the  Rockv  Mountains. 


ALASKA  AND  ITS  MINERAL  RESOURCES.  265 

I'lticrr  M  ill  tin/. 

The  total  mineral  production  of  Alaska  up  to  the  close 
of  1908  is  valued  at  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  million 
dollars,  of  which  over  a  hundred  million  is  represented  by 
the  output  of  the  placer  mines.  The  exploitation  of  the 
placers  has,  therefore,  in  the  past  been  the  most  important 
mining  industry  of  the  territory,  though  there  can  be  no 
question  that  in  the  times  to  come  the  other  mineral  de- 
posits will  form  a  much  larger  percentage  of  the  value  of 
the  mining  output.  Up  to  a  decade  ago  placer  mining  was 
limited  almost  entirely  to  the  most  primitive  methods. 
Then  the  output  of  gold  was  dependent  on  the  activities  of 
the  individual  miner  who  worked  with  pick  and  shovel  and 
rocker  or  sluice  box,  the  latter  usually  made  of  whip-sawed 
lumber.  This  phase  of  placer  mining,  however,  is  passing 
away  in  the  larger  mining  districts.  Today  such  machines 
as  dredges  are  being  introduced  and  hydraulic  mining  is 
also  playing  its  part  in  the  advancement  of  the  industry. 

These  alluvial  deposits  of  the  inland  regions  and  of  the 
Seward  Peninsula  are  usually  frozen  and  require  thawing, 
either  by  action  of  the  sun  or  through  artificial  means.  In 
the  so-called  deep  gravels  artificial  methods  of  thawing  are 
usually  employed.  A  shaft  is  sunk  until  the  gold-bearing 
strata  are  reached,  and  these  are  followed  by  means  of 
drifting  and  stoping.  The  ground  is  thawed  by  means  of 
steam  introduced  in  pipes,  which  are  driven  into  the  ground. 
The  material  is  then  hoisted  and  the  gold  is  separated  by 
sluicing. 

The  placer  mines  of  Alaska  are  for  the  most  part  situ- 
ated in  regions  where  there  is  a  low  precipitation.  For 
this  reason  the  water  supply  is  often  inadequate  for 
hydraulic  mining.  There  are,  however,  plenty  of  excep- 
tions to  this  rule,  and  hydraulic  methods  of  moving  gravel 
are  now  extensively  used.  There  will  probably  never  be, 
however,  in  most  of  the  mining  districts  of  the  inland  re- 
gion of  Alaska  and  the  Seward  Peninsula  any  such  exten- 
sive hydraulic  mining  operations  as  there  have  been  in  Cal- 
ifornia, for  the  reason  that  there  is  neither  adequate  water 
supply  nor  sufficient  grade  for  removing  the  tailings. 


266  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

There  are,  however,  some  smaller  districts  where  both  grade 
and  water  supply  invite  hydraulic  mining  enterprises,  and 
both  in  the  Yukon  and  Seward  Peninsula  there  are  certain 
localities  where  these  methods  can  be  used. 

The  dredge  is  a  mechanism  which  has  been  devised  for 
the  working  of  auriferous  alluvium  in  regions  where  either 
the  topographic  conditions  are  unfitted  or  the  water  supply 
inadequate  for  hydraulic  mining.  This  method  of  mining 
promises  to  have  a  wide  application  through  much  of  the 
Yukon  basin,  as  well  as  on  the  Seward  Peninsula.  The 
cost  of  operation  is  small,  because  a  dredge  requires  only 
three  to  five  men  for  its  operation.  The  original  invest- 
ment is  of  course  large,  varying  from  one  hundred  to  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  depending  on  the  character  of 
the  construction  or  the  locality  where  it  is  operated. 
Dredge  mining  will  undoubtedly  play  a  large  part  in  the 
future  mining  operations  in  the  territory.  It  is  unfortu- 
nate, however,  that  so  many  ill-conceived  schemes  are  be- 
ing advocated  for  dredging  where  the  preliminary  investi- 
gations have  been  entirely  insufficient  to  give  a  certainty 
of  returns.  Nowadays  dredge  mining  can  be  made  an  ab- 
solutely sure  investment,  providing  sufficient  prospecting 
is  done  in  advance  of  the  installation  of  the  plant. 

Transportation. 

The  cost  of  all  mining  operations  in  the  interior  por- 
tions of  Alaska,  as  well  as  parts  of  the  Seward  Peninsula, 
is  at  present  very  high.  This  is  chiefly  because  of  the  in- 
adequacy of  the  transportation  facilities.  There  are  a  few 
short  railroads,  but  practically  all  of  the  transportation  is 
dependent  on  the  use  of  ocean-going  vessels  or  river  boats 
during  the  open  season,  which  lasts  from  about  the  first  of 
June  until  October.  The  Alaska  placer  miner  probably 
on  the  average  pays  from  two  hundred  to  five  hundred 
dollars  a  ton  for  all  of  the  material  and  supplies  which  he 
uses  in  his  operations.  Such  a  tax  would  be  impossible 
were  it  not  for  the  extraordinary  richness  of  the  deposits 
now  being  worked.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  very 
extensive  areas  of  auriferous  alluvium  which  cannot  now 


ALASKA  AND  ITS  MINERAL  RESOURCES.  267 

be  handled  at  a  profit  because  of  the  high  cost  of  operating. 
These  operating  costs  can  be  in  part  reduced  by  the  intro- 
duction of  machinery  and  by  the  employment  of  skilled  en- 
gineers, which  are  sadly  lacking  in  most  Alaskan  mining 
enterprises.  But  for  any  material  reduction  in  cost  it  will 
be  necessary  to  establish  systems  of  transportation  which 
will  reduce  the  expenditure  for  freight. 

The  transportation  conditions  are  seriously  hampering 
mining  advancement  in  the  inland  regions.  There  has, 
however,  been  tremendous  progress  in  this  matter  during 
the  past  decade.  During  the  Klondike  excitement  thou- 
sands of  tons  of  freight  were  carried'  over  the  Chilkoot  Pass 
on  the  backs  of  men.  A  second  route  of  approach  was  over 
the  White  Pass,  where  the  declivity  is  not  as  steep,  but 
where  the  distance  from  tidewater  of  the  Pacific  to  naviga- 
ble water  inland  is  about  twice  as  great  as  along  the  Chil- 
koot route. 

No  account  of  Alaska  travel  would  be  complete  with- 
out some  reference  to  the  mosquitoes  which  worry  man  and 
beast  throughout  the  summer  months.  Horses  have  to  be 
protected  from  these  pests,  as  well  as  men.  Animals  soon 
learn  that  a  smudge  helps  to  keep  away  the  voracious  in- 
sects. 

Those  whose  familiarity  with  Alaska  and  its  mineral 
resources  gives  them  the  right  to  an  opinion,  believe  that 
there  is  here  a  large  field  for  mining  which  can  only  be  de- 
veloped by  the  construction  of  a  railway  from  the  Pacific 
seaboard  to  the  Yukon  basin.  There  has  been  much  tur- 
moil in  the  Alaska  railroad  situation  during  the  past  three 
years.  Efforts  have  been  made  to  show  that  one  or  the 
other  of  three  routes  is  the  only  feasible  one,  that  one  has 
a  decided  advantage  over  the  other.  There  are  advantages 
in  all  three  as  main  routes.  The  route  to  parallel  the  St. 
Elias  Eange  bisects  territory  such  as  neither  of  the  other 
two,  which  run  transverse  to  the  main  axis  of  the  moun- 
tains, does.  The  Copper  Eiver  route  is  the  only  one  which 
would  develop  the  copper  deposits  of  this  district  and  also 
reach  the  Controller  Bay  coal  fields,  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  route  from  Eesurrection  Bay  to  the  Tanana  is  the 


268  PROCEEDINGS  AMERICAN  MINING  CONGRESS.     [Part  II. 

shortest  to  the  placer  districts  and  also  must  be  built  to 
develop  the  Matanuska  coal  fields.  All  of  these  routes  have 
been  surveyed,  and  railways  are  now  being  constructed 
along  two  of  them.  One  of  these  is  to  ascend  Copper  river 
and  also  to  reach  the  Controller  Bay  coal  field.  The  other 
has  the  Matanuska  coal  field  for  its  immediate  objective 
point.  These  two  railways  will  bring  those  valuable  coals 
to  the  seaboard,  and  the  Copper  river  line  will  also  tap  the 
copper  deposits  of  the  Chitina  valley.  One  or  both  will 
ultimately  be  extended  to  the  Yukon. 

The  coastal  barrier  once  passed,  there  are  few  difficul- 
ties to  railway  construction. 

Possibly  I  am  over  optimistic,  but  in  my  opinion,  not 
only  will  these  railways  be  completed,  but  others  will  be 
built.  The  time  will  come  when  we  shall  have  several 
trunk  lines,  with  many  branches,  making  all  the  mineral- 
bearing  parts  of  the  territory  accessible  at  all  times  of  the 
year.  These  schemes  may  appear  visionary,  but  when  we 
reflect  that  Alaska,  with  its  primitive  systems  of  transpor- 
tation, has  already  added  to  the  world's  wealth  to  the  ex- 
tent of  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  million  dollars,  there  seems 
to  be  some  justification  for  this  opinion. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 
LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


|6Jan'59JB 

REC'D  LD 

;JAN  8    1959 

T  r»  9-1  A    sn™  Q  >na                                     General  Library 
<M8MtO)4?«B                                  University  of  California 

01631 


203316 


